What do you computer types think of this suggested system?

[eagl]

I guess I just haven't seen trustworthy core 2 duo base systems that have "real" motherboards... it seems like all the good core 2 duo mobos that have quality integrated parts and also have some expansion slots are very expensive.

That said, the linky to that goofy cross-dressing mobo we posted about a month ago was very interesting.  sub-$100 for a board that supports AGP, DDR, and DDR2 memory...

I dunno.  It comes down to how much performance and upgradability you can get for your $$$.  If you can find a core 2 duo system with the same generic specs (same amount of ram, same HD size, same vid card, etc) and the same price, then the core 2 duo system is probably a better deal.  I just haven't personally seen any of those that I'd trust.  Dell has value core 2 duo systems but you don't get a pci-e slot or a standard case, mobo, sound card, or power supply.  In my 20 years of PC building experience, there is nothing worse than a dell branded OEM sound card...  Those things are absolutely horrible no matter what they call them.  A "soundblaster" purchased from Dell is NOT a real soundblaster.  It will have crappy amps, reduced quality processors and capacitors, will be flat-out missing signal processing components from the PCB, and the firmware/drivers will be severely crippled so you can't even install updated drivers from creative after Dell quits supporting the card.

Er... my point being that in my experience, I haven't seen a single $750 Core 2 Duo system that I'd care to own, but you can find many $750 AMD systems that have really nice components that are upgradable.  Maybe you've seen stuff that I haven't, but I also don't bottom-feed when I go looking for my next upgrade

[humble]

It all depends on what phase of the cycle your in....my last two builds I focused on the motherboard. My 754 was a DFI lanparty (great MB)...only reason I went 754 was I couldnt find a pci-e ati 800pro that wasnt $100 over the AGP price...so I went 754 with the thought I'd wait for either the core duo or AM2 socket...that system still runs great BTW. My system before that was a gigabyte....both the gigabyte and azus boards (both respective top of line "non combo" boards failed at 18 months or so...

I've probably built 150 systems over the last 10 yrs. 80% were either workstations for various companies I owned (largest had 78 employees)...some were/are for friends (wife works at local school district) with roughly 30 or so being high end gamers. Absolutely no question that quality components are the preferable...and sometimes manditory. Defining exactly what is "quality" can be hard. I feel sometimes your paying for the brand name as much as the part. If we use Toms as a reliable 3rd party benchmark we often find that less recognized parts equal or exceed more recognized "name parts".

If we use my most recent "upgrade" as a specific example there is potential value in "bargain basement" shopping. My "other system" is fine with the exception of issues that rendered AH difficult do to "warping" brought on by ATI/Nvidia driver conflicts. The memory management clock cycle conflict (think I got that right) caused warping that diminished game play for me and was unfair to those I was fighting....

After some contemplation I chose a e6600 "combo" over other options on the basis of getting the most CPU I could for the long haul. The ECS PT890T-A actually had good reviews on various forums...most of the bad ones were either generic or bios related etc. After having installed it I'd say its a good basic board. Seemless install no glitches...runs very stable and benchmarks reasonably well at stock settings. No question your giving up a few % overall to a better MB....but esentially it was free:). The e6600 is generally regarded as the best overall value (stock+OC potential) in just about every forum I read (many running it a 3.6 or higher). Meanwhile this core system will do fine as a work station with a 6300 later. I'll keep the e6600 and dump it in a top line OC board with an 8800 or similiar leaving the all but the chip in the current box.

Now would I buy the ESC....hell no. But I'll take it every day as a free "CPU holder" that will give me a year or so of service while things sort out. I'm a stone cold AMD fan (and have been since the K6 chips)....but right now the value isnt there IMO. A crappy core duo on a crappy MB is still head and shoulders over anything else on the planet.

When I say crappy I dont mean failure prone, out of spec, damage your system crappy....I mean less then stellar. I have 4 work stations with "spacewalker" MB's that have run since mid 2001 without ever being turned off. Everyone is still rock solid...from my perspective MB's and power supplies are the two most mis-understood elements in PC building. I'm more concerned about the chips on the MB then the name on it....now I would never pay for a VIA chipset...so I'd never pay retail....even $55 retail for this ECS board. But it works just fine....and I can live with it for now with NP. Where I get confused is when guys bypass a "junk board" to by a "name" board with esentially the exact same components for $89 or $109 or $139. To me (especially with core duo) your either in the $150-$230 range or it doesnt matter....just my thoughts on it all.

[airspro]

But whats more important to me is how well the machine will play basic games like AH, CoD2, Vanguard......stuff

Just up grade the video card IMO , and make sure it's not Vista OS .

I would get at 7900 or 7950 .