I'm trying to use pfsense as a firewall/router/web filter/IDS.
Nearly a really UTM without AV scanning, or?
For how many users this pfSense box must be running well, please?
200, 400 or 1000 users? A greater or newer model should be used
Witch other services do you use that are "eating" the CPU power?
Perhaps something like DPI?
Another CPU would be fine
Do you use Squid as a proxy?
Perhaps a SSD will help speeding things up?
Processor: 2.40 GHz Dual-Core Xeon (3060) - 800/4MB
Available for ~$10 at eBay
Memory: 8GB - (4 x 2GB) - DDR2 - DDR2 ECC
Ok
Hard Drive #1: 80GB - SATA II - 7200RPM
A mSATA or SATA III SSD would be fine and would be speeding up caching using Squid.
PCIe Card #1 (FH): Dual Port Gigabit NIC - PCIe
Can be all, please tell us the vendor or upgrade this against a Dual or Quad Port card from Intel.
There are many options for you:
Upgrading the existing box with a SSD and an Intel server NIC (2 or 4 Port)
If this not is helping out, you could use this as spare parts for another one!
Intel Celeron J1900 pfsense Box
Box 1 Box 2
SG-2440, SG-4860 or SG-8860 units from the pfSense store
Self made box based on Supermicro Intel Atom C2000 (Rangeley) Boards
Axiomtek NA342, NA342R, NA361, NA361R appliances
Xeon E3-1241 Quad Core CPU starting @3,0GHz
Intel Xeon D-1540
For sure not only for the 50 MBit/s WAN throughput but more tended to the other services you run on the box
and perhaps the number of users this box is serving.