AM2+ w/ PCIe 2.0, or LGA775 w/ PCIe?

[scryer_360]

In a previous thread I stated that I was building a new PC for my little brother this christmas. Problem is I'm on a $400 budget.

What I've got so far is that (on Newegg.com) if I go with an AMD Athlon X2 Chip I get get a PCI Express 2.0 slot on a motherboard for about $120. If I go Intel, then for about $110 I can get an E5200 with an PCIe slot on the motherboard.

I know that Intel is better than AMD and PCIe2.0 is better than PCIe, but I'm in the quandry of which way to go being better. With an intel board I get a better processor, but all it can upgrade to is a C2Quad. An AM2+ board would support Deneb, which may be better than C2Quad.

So my question: whats the better setup, and can anything actually take advantage of a PCIe2.0 slot yet? I know maybe an GTX 280 could, but the most powerful card I'd use would probably be the 4850. Then again in two years, when way more powerful hardware is out, he (the end user) may eventually want to upgrade it to something way beyond what the GTX 280 can do now (assuming midrange cards in two years will be as powerful as the GTX 280 is now).

 

[Jakary]

the 4850 also uses PCIe 2.0

 

[slomo4sho]

Every PCIe 2.0 card is backward compatible with a standard x16 PCIe slot.

Do you have a Fry's nearby? They have great cpu/mobo combos going on currently which might be worth exploring.