Dual socket dual core or single socket quad core?

[kippermitten]

hello!

Gosh its been a while since Ive done this but Im going to build myself a home workstation. Been using an XPS laptop for two years but dammit I need RAID and dual graphics again!

So my question is thus:

Having had a plethora of dual socket systems that always batter the pants off of single socket systems whats the performance differential like these days?

I can pick up a dual socket dual core Intel or AMD pcie motherboard for cheap of the bay of E but what about a quad core single socket system of later generation processors? While the single core newer systems be more powerful overall?
Im not just looking at CPU performance but also memory and back plane throughput...

Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[kippermitten]

Single socket makes me feel inadequate!

But Im looking for as much performance as I can get for much cheapness...

Are the Quad Core Q6600s worth a look?

Can be overclocked?

 

[kippermitten]

Ok - so Im looking at a Q6600 cpu and what Motherboard is recomended?

Also what graphics card? Im so out of touch with whats hot or not!
Need to be around 60-70 quids tops second hand btw...

ALSO! What PSU rating will I need?