Every graphics card manufacturer will work. Some are better for gaming and so, they cost a lot more. Computer audio has nothing to do with gaming. So virtually any graphics card will do. Some computer manufacturers have alliances with certain graphics card manufacturers. If you want to design and build your own machine, you need to understand system integration. Otherwise you buy a computer and you use what you purchase. The same can be said for your underwear and clothing. Some people are wealthy enough to get custom-made clothing. Other folks buy brand name clothing. Others shop at Wal-Mart. All do the same thing, they keep you from being arrested for wearing the Emperor's clothing.

If you are going to invest in Avid ProTools 10, you just have to make sure that you purchase what they tell you to weather it seems odd or not. Because if you don't, things will not necessarily work properly and they will provide you with no customer support. So just like the quote from Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, are you feeling lucky today... punk? This can become a costly game to play. If you're just entering into the foray and the fray of audio recording, start with the basics. Get yourself a PC tower or a laptop and start with a 2 channel, affordable, USB 2.0 audio interface such as a PreSonus Audio Box. That's less than a $300 investment. And with that, comes their own software which is fabulously capable of producing most anything you want. Then, if you still want to try ProTools, you could invest in ProTools and still utilize it with your PreSonus Audio Box. Of course anyone's equipment will work with ProTools 10 but that is a sizable investment in and by itself. Other manufacturers will offer other bundled software such as Cue Base from Steinberg/Yamaha. Mackie hardware will offer Traction. Many of these programs are what we refer to as DEEP. That means that they are not necessarily all that user-friendly without proper training. Some are, others not so much so. Some are straightforward and others are mind blowers. You can end up spending thousands of dollars to become ProTools Certified. Others have lesser expensive third-party training software. Either way, your learning curve will be huge. So just like your clothing, you may want to download as much trial software as you can, first. You try it on and see how it fits. And you can do this with just your built-in computer's sound card with many of these softwares. Everybody's minds work differently in their eyes and brains. Some are overwhelming with all sorts of fancy GUI gobbledygook. Others are simpler and more straightforward. I still run older versions of Adobe Audition which you don't find bundled too often with numerous manufacturers hardware. All still cost hundreds of dollars of investment. And that's just for the software. The bundled software is usually what is referred to as LE or, SE, which indicates it is a scaled-down version. Still quite deep and still quite functional for most everyone. You get into the higher-level software for specific needs and requirements you may have. But how do you know what you need when you don't know anything quite yet? It doesn't matter what their sales hype indicates. It matters what your knowledge level is. For us full-blown studio owners like myself, we didn't start with a full-blown studio but rather, more entry level oriented equipment. Once we learned how to squeeze everything out of what we had, then we would begin to move up. Your first car was not a Maserati nor Lamborghini was it? I didn't think so. Of course I've had rich friends who at 16 were presented with a Jaguar or Porsche. But at 16, if you're smart, you'll know you'll probably hit a few things, early on. So you start with a used jalopy. When you become more capable, you purchase a new Chevrolet. And even after that, when you want to move up, you might purchase a used Stingray before you purchase a new Porsche or Lamborghini, Maserati, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce. Superb German microphones will cost you $1500-$3500 and up. Whereas a Chinese imitation, may run you $80-$150. Am I making sense? Of course I am.

Are you going to want to start by tracking an entire band all at once? Or, are you going to start by cutting your guitar followed by your vocal followed by sampled drums? In my work, I need to track 24-48 channels simultaneously. But I sure as heck didn't start there. While you can get multitrack computer audio interfaces such as the PreSonus FireWire-based Fire Studio that might allow for 8 simultaneous XLR & 1/4 inch inputs, that might be more than you need to start with. If you demand the best sounding stuff, Barringer & Mackie wouldn't necessarily be in the equation. It's totally 100% adequate but not what you'd necessarily find in the top studios. I have what you find in the top studios today and of yesteryear. I've spent over $150,000 in my investment. When I started, I spent $150. Then $1500. Then $15,000. And that didn't even include any microphones. Today, my microphone selection is second to none and worth over $30,000. See what I mean? So you've got to start somewhere sensible. Doctors don't even come out of medical school and begin brain surgery. Although Jethro Bodine did. You're not Jethro are you? I hope not?

I'm a bit odd as an engineer/producer.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Thanks alot for that very in depth reply there, very much appreciated. Over the last 4 -5 days I've started looking at mac. desktop systems as they are recomended so highly to run the pro tools program. I have had previous education in music technology on a music performance diploma, the technology class's were only once a week. In september I'm goin back to finish the full tech diploma tho. I did almost go for an interface with program included, the value seemed very good like you said. I have used multiple recording and editing programs before (but never owned a digital system of my own) Cubase and Tascam was considered for a while because of this, I found it a very user friendly (apart from its quantise system.) I have used an older pro tools program too, this was something I enjoyed working with immensely. My home has just been the subject of a massive musical face lift too. It's always had its fair share, but now it has a 2 rooms to house my equipment in. As it was before (single room) there was still some 4 tracks and some poor quality editing programs on my PC. that was used regularly. Now I have quite a large room that can be split 3 different ways, and has had quite alot of time and money put into sound proofing and acoustic enhancement, its time to start upping the recording quality.
I'll not be doing any fully live band recording as it is now, but a live drum kit is set up which I usually record thru an 8 mic setup. This would probably be the largest thing to record live, and first then layer the rest of the track onto the drum track.
This isn't my first big step in music. It is in music technology tho, the prices surprised me a little when it came to the computer requirements. But I have no real in depth knowledge, the technology moves so quickly I've never had the money to spend on it before, as it was normally spent on making noise and not recording it. Swallow the pride David(me) you stubborn musician, why did you pick performance??? Everyone told you to do tech, because it would get you further in music. Guess I wanted to be Angus just a little bit too much as a little kid eh? :p
I've already got Avid Pro Tools 10 on it's way to me,as with the apogee ensemble. So the Apple Mac. is an expense that is necessary to run theses products. I have a much better grip on these factors now( big thanks given advice given on here).
And no .................. I aint got the stomach for medical school, can't stand needles !!!!! It's a life long phobia. I have no idea who Jethro is but I promise you it aint me???? I'm Dave,it was very nice to share oddity with you.