Thanks for the responses so far,
The machine will be used for some gaming (nothing too heavy) would just like to be able to run current games, (Upgrading from a 1.4GHz Athlon). Also used for watching movies, music etc.
Would an AMD chip be a viable option on a budget machine ? He's a bit of an AMD Fanboi (as was I before I got my E6600)
Thanks for your help so far.