Asterisk with 8 (or) 16 T1/E1 PSTN Terminations?

Hi ,

Does Asterisk 1.4 support 8 or 16 T1/E1 PSTN terminations?

What kind of CPU/RAM required to fulfill this requirement? I am assuming setup with a Dell R905 server with 2xTE420B or 4xTE420B cards. Can it simultaneously process 8x23 (or) 16x23 calls?

If i consider Cisco AS5400XM, the cost is exponentially growing. Please suggest alternative options.

Thanks
LDP.