This article has a good performance comparison between current Intel and AMD Processors. http://www17.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030521/index.html This site is a good source of up-to-date price comparisons of computer hardware. http://www.pricewatch.com This site has evaluations of various mail-order vendors. http://resellerratings.com Visit them all and draw your own "bang-for-the-buck" conclusions.