Hi guys,
 
Time is upon me. My amazingly trusty Intel i7-2600 still cranks it out every single day without fail but I have to have a plan B.
 
My workload is spread between tracking, composing and mixing, in most genres. And I push my system hard.

What Mobos and Chipsets are at the current price/value sweetspot?
I'll be running at least 16GB Ram, 2 x Hybrid Seagate HDDs (I like those for Audio folders and projects).
I would need at least two PCI slots - 3 would be better (I run an RME HDSP9652 on PCI and RME UFX on Firewire)
Coolermaster Silencio case.
Is a Graphics card really necessary?
 
And go!
 
Ludwig
 

If you mean native PCI (not PCIe) slots, I think those are probably a thing of the past. 
 
Second issue is that in the next couple of years the CPU makers are going to need to redesign their products to avoid the speculative execution exploits in all of the current designs. It may turn out that newer chips may not be faster depending on the solutions they find. In any event there will come a time fairly soon (1-3 years) when a large volume of currently advanced chips will need to be off loaded to make room for the new designs. If security is not an issue for you, then these newly outdated chips might be quite cheap by current standards. Demand for the new chips from cloud service centers will be high so they will be expensive at least initially. So if you can limp along for a while you will have a choice of a new computer with an expensive more secure chip or a cheap more risky chip. It might make sense to buy a used machine that comes closer to your requirements in the interim. A new one bought now will definitely not be future proof. 

Excellent advice, thanks!

There are some systems that offer like one legacy PCI slot, such as the Dell Optiplex tower PC, http://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/cty/pdp/spd/optiplex-xe2 but those days are numbered.  It's probably time to consider replacing those legacy audio interfaces.  There are some quality low latency systems available in the USB 2 variety, or if you are brave and the PC meets the requirements, Thunderbolt.

I love my ssd for nearly infinite tracking. I used to get dropouts as the lanes climbed into the thousands. I don't now.

just built a new machine last week.
 
stats:
Intel Core i7-7700 3.6GHz Quad-Core
MSI B250M
Seasonic SSR-450FM
G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 16GB(2x8)
Samsung 960 EVO 250 GB
Western Digital Mainstream 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit
Asus DVD-RW
Antec P100
Asus PCE-N15
 
 
i gotta say,
this thing is super quiet.
no special anything in it, very basic cabinet, yet quiet as a mouse.
 
 
i also have to say,
totally sold on M.2 NVMe drives.
holy crap.
 
win 10 pro, lets you dial off a lot of the bloat.
boots up from off to ready to go in about 3 second.
 
presonus studio one pro is what i've gone with...
takes about 3 seconds to load the entire program, ready to roll.
Added waves platinum bundle for plugs,
i've got plenty to keep me busy for a while.
 
 
rme babyface pro comes in at 3.1 usb, rock solid.
no video card, doesn't seem to need it.
no gaming here.
 
 

+100 for SSD.  That is a game changer.  Best upgrade you could do, even with an existing system.  On my system, the random file access is about 100x faster with SSD compared to the HDD it replaced.  The Windows boot time and DAW startups happen in a few seconds.  If your plugins are stored on SSD, they load in an instant as well.
 
I am not using a graphics card on my music PC either.  The Intel integrated graphics seems fine for 2d work, and I am running 2 monitors with that.  If you plan to use 4K monitors, check the system specs, but I believe that latest gen Intel can even handle that.
 
Browse the PCPartPicker site for prices on components to get an idea of relative costs.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/

When you decide on a couple CPU options, be sure to research the MBs as well, since there can be some wide variations on performance even with the same chip. With the right CPU/MB I doubt you would need or miss a GPU for DAW work. I also agree with the above regarding legacy hardware - do not make that a driving factor in a new machine.

Thanks guys - excellent input from all. I am looking at used machines as well right now, because of the high cost of electronics in my country (weak South African Rand and high shipping costs). To replace my RME HDSP9652 PCI isn't a joke!

I have the option on a 6 Core Dual CPU HP z620. Anything to be aware of there? 

This motherboard has 2 PCI slots.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128973&ignorebbr=1
 
Here is a list of boards that have 2 or more PCI slots.  Not all currently in stock.
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#d=2,6&f=2