Struggling to decide which CPU I should get, help/advice please

[cheddar]

OK folks I am going to get myself a new system so I thought i'd start with the basics and try and work out what CPU/Mobo I need.

I am looking for something that can be used to run Vista with some new games.I have tried to do some research but seem to be getting myself confused here.

So this is what I have come up with at the moment:


1. Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 "LGA775 Conroe" 3.00GHz (1333FSB) - Retail

2. Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600 "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB) - Retail

3. AMD Phenom Quad Core 9600+ (Socket AM2) - Retail

Price wise these are around the same price, but which is better? I'd guess the 4 core processors, maybe?

Would the four core processor be the better choice long term? I've always gone with AMD before but it doesnt matter to me honestly, I just want something decent.

Thanks

 

[cheddar]

THank you for the replies, looks like i'm going to go with the Q6600.

Can anyone recommend a good, reliable motherboard to go with this. I dont really know what I am looking for honestly, is there a particular chipset that I should be looking for?

Thanks

 

[cheddar]

P35 I would go with right now unless you want to run crossfire in which case X38

OK there seem to be a lot of boards that use the P35 chipset, are there any that support the new 40nm cpu's coming out with DDR3 support and PCE 2.0?