Which processor & combo is the better value?

[AMDC2D]

Hi All, I'm a newbie when it comes to selecting CPUs and motherboards.

I want to build a new budget PC, for basic needs like Microsoft Office, web browsing, scanning documents via a USB scanner, watching DVDs, and printing with an all-in-one inkjet printer.

Here are the two CPUs and motherboards I'm considering (sold as a set):

1. Intel E4500 Core 2 Duo + ECS 945GCT-M/1333 mobo for $124, or
2. Intel E2200 dual-core + Asus P5GC-MX/1333 for $ 175

Is the ASUS mobo worth the extra $50 premium, and is the Intel 4500 way better than the E2200?

Thanks all for your input!!

 

[myocardia]

Welcome to anandtech. In my opinion, it's always worth buying/using a better motherboard. In this instance though, I don't think it's the case. The Asus P5GC-MX only costs $55, so you could buy the E4500 + ECS motherboard, plus P5GC-MX for $179 total.

 

[jdkick]

Personally, i'd pass on the ECS board... especially when there are alternatives from ASUS, ABIT, MSI, Gigabyte, etc.

And no, the E4500 is not "way better" then the E2200. The specs are nearly identical with the E4xxx series having an extra 1MB of L2 cache. For your intend use, you won't see a difference.

 

[sjwaste]

I dont know, but I got a Gigabyte P35-DS3L and an E2200 and it'll do 3.2 GHz (400x8) with no adjustment to the voltage (I think the board bumps it up a little from the base 1.22, but the highest reading I've seen in the bios is 1.31v). I've fooled with 1.4v and 3.6 GHz, but its rock stable at 3.2, encodes video some 50% faster than my Opteron 165 @ 2.25 GHz did, and cost like $160 total at Newegg. I splurged and bought the $17 rosewill cooler though. The whole setup has worked out really well for me. If its in your budget, I can't recommend it enough.

 

[AMDC2D]

Thank you all - very helpful.