[Asterisk-Users] Will my CPU/RAM be sufficient?

[Marco Trucchi]

Hello!
I'm new to asterisk and linux, so please don't blame me if I write silly 
things :-)

I'd like to setup a system with IVR only.
I'll use a SIP gateway to receive calls from the outside world, and I'll 
install asterisk on a dedicated linux server placed in another location 
that will be permanently connected to the gateway through the internet.
I expect to have 8 concurrent calls maximum.

Now, I have to choose the server that I will rent, and I don't want to take 
a machine which is too powerful for my needs in order not to waste money.
Luckily many of you say that linux and asterisk are so performant that you 
normally do not need such a powerful CPU...

One of the possibilities is:

    Celeron 1.7 GHz 128k cache
    HD 30/40GB U.ATA 100
    128 MB DDR Ram
    network card 100Mbit/s
    M/B intel

Then I can add memory (128 MB seems to be not too much to me....I would put 
256 MB).

The gateway supports many codecs.
If I use the gsm, do I save on CPU work?
I mean: as asterisk uses "gsm" sound files, I wonder if using the "gsm" 
codecs the files are not treated "on the fly" but just read and sent 
directly to the gateway.

What do you think about my thoughts?
Will the computer be sufficient, or would you take a more powerful one?
I can always take this computer and later take a more powerful one, but I 
would lose all the money of the setup, so I would like to take the good one 
since the beginning.

Thank you, ciao
Marco