best processor under $100 right now?

I, my cousin and a friend of mine all want to build new systems in the next
3 to 4 months. I've been slowly buying the parts that aren't likely to
change much, and will buy the cases next.

However, eventually we'll come down to the processor and motherboard.
I've been holding off on those, because I know that each month that goes by
means we can afford a faster processor. We haven't really been in a hurry,
because our current systems work fine, but we'd like to get working systems
by March at the latest.

Of course, this makes me wonder - what is the best processor we can afford
right now, and what is likely to be the best processor we can afford if we
wait until March?

Is there likely to be any difference? I'm not talking about OEM, but the
retail boxed version with heatsink and warranty.

Thanks for your thoughts!

"OhioGuy" <none@none.net> wrote...

> Of course, this makes me wonder - what is the best processor we can afford
> right now, and what is likely to be the best processor we can afford if we
> wait until March?
>
> Is there likely to be any difference? I'm not talking about OEM, but the
> retail boxed version with heatsink and warranty.

Find the best/fastest Core2Duo CPU you can afford, and a P35 chipset-based MoBo,
so you have upgradability to the 45nm CPUs coming out now and in the near
future. I just built one with a Gigabyte P35-DS4 MoBo.

http://www.anandtech.com/

Anand's site has this info, and lots more. FWIW, the Nov 07 Budget
Buyer's guide just came out, and the Midrange Guide is only a few weeks
old. Fresh info, ummmmm tastie...

On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:22:36 -0500, OhioGuy thoughfully wrote:

> I, my cousin and a friend of mine all want to build new systems in the
> next 3 to 4 months. I've been slowly buying the parts that aren't
> likely to change much, and will buy the cases next.
>
> However, eventually we'll come down to the processor and motherboard.
> I've been holding off on those, because I know that each month that goes
> by means we can afford a faster processor. We haven't really been in a
> hurry, because our current systems work fine, but we'd like to get
> working systems by March at the latest.
>
> Of course, this makes me wonder - what is the best processor we can
> afford
> right now, and what is likely to be the best processor we can afford if
> we wait until March?
>
> Is there likely to be any difference? I'm not talking about OEM, but
> the
> retail boxed version with heatsink and warranty.
>
> Thanks for your thoughts!

I'm waiting for a AMD X2 BE-2300 cpu with ASUS M2A-VM (AM2) motherboard
combo. Fair bang for the bucks.

Waiting till March might get you a Dual Core 6550 for under $100.