$500 for CPU, MOBO, and RAM

[rumpltumpskin]

2 or 3 weeks from now i'm going to spend $500US or so on a cpu, mobo, and ram. i would be very grateful for whatever advice you all could give as to how i should distribute my budget. i just got this http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=27247&vpn=BFGE88512GTSE&manufacture=BFG%20Technologies
i also have a 450w 33A enermax that i hope to keep if it is practical.

i have read that the intel core 2 duo are faster clock for clock than their amd competitors and there for worth the extra $20 or $30, would everyone agree with this? are there any good reasons to go with amd over intel right now? also, is there any advantage in using more than 2g 800 ddr2?

 

[Akifuddin]

No good reasons to get more than 2GB of RAM or choose AMD at the moment since almost all the C2D's and Quads run them over. Get 3GB if you don't want to upgrade later on. With 500 bucks you should be able to get a Q6600, a good mobo and 2GB of some good Crucial RAM if you want to overclock. (which is very recommended with a Q6600, I can't because mine's prebuilt by HP and I heard that I'm not "allowed" to overclock)

 

[akhilles]

The 8800GTS 512 recommends the same PSU as the GT512: 425W 28A. Your psu will be fine, but may not have room for upgrades/overclocking.

The only worthy overclocker from AMD right now is 5000+ BE. The quad one - Phenom Black - will be out in March. That'll be too late for you. No, even an AMD fanboy like me won't recommend AMD over Intel if overclocking is your thing.