The new E6750 has a higher front side bus than the older Core2 Duos, which requires a newer motherboard than the Asus P5B we used in our last budget overclocking system.

Even though it's relatively new, the P5K already has a good reputation for overclocking, which will come in handy later in the series when we push these systems past their stock speeds. But for now, the P5K is a solid board for our low-cost system, at a decent price.

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master HyperTX 2

Cooler Master's HyperTX 2 is a capable cooler for a very attractive price. At under $30 including an active fan, the HyperTX 2 is a great choice for a budget system, especially if you plan to overclock a bit on the cheap.