If you are into gaming it might make sense to save on the CPU and invest in the video card.
They got something at toms harware that might be of interest to you:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/05/...on/page10.html

Personally I wouldn't know what to buy right now.I'd tend to the lowest cost 65nm x2 part from AMD and overclock it but those things are hard to find.

With Intel I also don't see much sense in going beyound a 6320 if you are into overclocking.

Where are you getting an extra $100 from. The AMD 3800+ X2 is ~$80 and the Intel Core 2 Duo is ~$110. Well worth the price difference if you ask me. Do whatever your budget allows you to do by all means. I don't get profit from Intel sales...I was simply addressing the smarter choice in my opinion.

I ended up getting the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4400+. Still don't have a mobo for it but for $89.99 with free shipping (to USA) I couldn't resist.

It's a weekly special so link probably won't work in a couple days, but here it is in case anyone is still looking for parts:
http://shop2.outpost.com/product/5173926

@Carlwill: I can't find a Core 2 Duo for cheaper than 180$ here, retail box. (I don't do OEM for CPUs. Too much risk.) X2 3800+ EE is 100$~, a few bucks more than the regular version. Combined with the priciness of 775LGA motherboards, you can easily run an extra 100$. I'd rather invest that, either in a video card, or like in a REAL investment.

@Crito: I recommend a Gigabyte motherboard. I haven't heard good things about Asus ones, and sadly those are the only two motherboard companies I know much about :P.

I like Gigabyte, almost went with an Abit too, but think I'm going to gamble a bit on this Biostar:
http://www.biostar.com.tw/t-series/p...ct_details.php

It's the only micro-ATX form factor mobo I can find using nVidia's latest chipset with GeForce7-class video. There's also a 7050 model but it has an HDMI port instead of DVI-D -- I don't understand why they didn't make it DVI-I and just include a VGA adaptor like ATI does though.

Anyway, looks like mobo will set me back $80 but I'll be using the onboard video so not having to buy another card offsets that some.

EDIT: Just bought it on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/BIOSTAR-TF7025-M...QQcmdZViewItem

I've bought two ASRock boards, one for a LGA775 and another for a Socket 478, and they both work perfectly. The name sounds kinda crappy, but the boards are perfectly fine, and the price is usually cheap.

But if your going for OC and SLI whatever on these boards, ASRock isn't gonna give you that.

Core 2 Duo all the way!!

nVidia will be offering the same 7025/7050 GPU for Intel CPUs later this year BTW. Here are a couple reviews of the 7050 for AMD:
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.c...id=2111&page=1
http://sg.vr-zone.com/?i=4934

Note the HDMI port pictures. That's the first time I've ever seen one soldered on a mobo. Anyone building a HTPC with 1080p HDTV should definitely consider it.

Add 2GB of DDR2 800 in a matched pair for $88.
http://cgi.ebay.com/2GB-1GB-X2-DDR2-...QQcmdZViewItem
I can't believe how cheap these parts were. Will be reusing case, PSU, hard drive, DVD burner, DVI LCD and wireless keyboard/mouse so that's about it. Everything should be assembled in time for the official release of Fedora Core 7.

@Crito: 'Cept no one can use HDPC or whatever the DRM on it is...

Supposedly the GPU does all that for you too. Those BlueRay and HD-DVD drives are still too expensive for me though.

BTW, NewEgg has the X2 4600+ Dual Core in retail box (includes heatsink and fan) on special for $118 with free shipping:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103751

Fry's sold out of the 4400+ already.

i had the same dilemmad when i built my own box recently, and i must add that the prices can be vastly differnt depending where you live.

i ended up with an AMD X2 4600+
becasue it was much cheaper than the equiv C2D
the processors themselves cost mucg the same,
but AM2 motherboards are much cheaper than the intell based ones,

anyway i wanted a chipset taht i could trust with linux, ive read too many negative thinsg about the intell chipsets (at the time the only chipset that would work with the C2Ds)

i have a nice solid Nvidia chipset on my MBO

That Fry's tray CPU showed up in a huge box and it STILL had bent pins. Good reason to stick with AMD's retail packaging I suppose. Lukcily I was able to straighten them out with some precision/watch tools but for a newbie I imagine that would have been quite the chore... if they didn't try to jam it in the socket and snap a pin or two clean off first, that is.

Hopefully mobo and RAM will get here soon so I can test it or it's RMA time, again -- I'm getting REALLY tired of having to RMA cr@p. Clearly the plastic CPU holder they used was designed for a smaller processor. They could have triple boxed the !@#$ thing and wouldn't have made a !@#$ bit of difference. They bent the pins themselves repackaging the chips. :| Grrrrr...