Depending on what you use the machine for, onboard video can be just fine. One of my rigs has onboard video, with just 8 MB of its own RAM, and no sound at all - perfect for a server. Don't need power-consuming fast 3D on that thingy, you just need your UI to work, and that's exactly what that small onboard thngy is doing.

In home theater PCs that must run as silent as possible, onboard video can also be a good solution - less physical hardware inside the case, better airflow and cooling. Performancewise good enough for playing DVDs or HD movies, but cerntainly not for 3D work.

The list I posted yesterday contains somewhat older hardware, indeed. The Q6600 is almost two years old by now.
But if you want better performance than the Q6600, you'll have to pay significantly more. The Q8200 is only a little more expensive than the Q6600, but performs a little less. Its only advantage is a lower power consumption (and the later g0 stepping of the Q6600 isn't bad at all when it comes to power. And it overclocks like mad - many, many people run a Q6600 on 3.0 Ghz or more with no trouble at all, while it's designed for 2.4 Ghz).

The pen is mightier than the sword. But if you literally want to have some impact, use a typewriter

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