That is SO Last Generation...And Awesome
You know, planned obsolescence is a funny thing. If you have a sharp eye you can get some amazing values by buying a generation or two behind the bleeding edge. I found something interesting on Newegg: AMD Phenom 9150e and 9350e processors going for $80 and $100 respectively.
Now, while the first-generation Phenoms garnered a well-deserved reputation for being slow, underpowered, hot, and (before B3 stepping) buggy, these two chips are worth a closer look. They're native quad-core parts, and they only have 65W TDPs. Each individual core is slow, but they're excellent multitasking CPUs and good for multi-threaded loads.
Now here's the interesting bit: according to Passmark's CPU list, the 9150e performs about as well as a Core 2 Duo E8400. Nevermind that it needs double the number of cores to do so: you are looking at something that has the performance of a $160+ chip for $80 in the same power envelope. Same performance, half price.
Among other things, this means an AM2+-based "budget" build could have a true quad core CPU in it, if you wanted. This is just one of the weird mechanics of the CPU market, but if I were you I'd take advantage of it while the chips are still there.
Now, while the first-generation Phenoms garnered a well-deserved reputation for being slow, underpowered, hot, and (before B3 stepping) buggy, these two chips are worth a closer look. They're native quad-core parts, and they only have 65W TDPs. Each individual core is slow, but they're excellent multitasking CPUs and good for multi-threaded loads.
Now here's the interesting bit: according to Passmark's CPU list, the 9150e performs about as well as a Core 2 Duo E8400. Nevermind that it needs double the number of cores to do so: you are looking at something that has the performance of a $160+ chip for $80 in the same power envelope. Same performance, half price.
Among other things, this means an AM2+-based "budget" build could have a true quad core CPU in it, if you wanted. This is just one of the weird mechanics of the CPU market, but if I were you I'd take advantage of it while the chips are still there.