Ok, frys has this on special:

ECS L4S8A2 (sis 648 chipset)
P4 2.4 ghz proc retail

$230

i mean, is it a really good bang for the buck? i know the motherboard is lacking in features, but the proc alone is like $180, and the motherboard alone is like $90, so it seems to be a steal.

they also have this on sale
Althon XP 2100+ OEM
Soyo KT333 Dragon Lite
$130

Again, the motherboard is low on features, but i dont use that many peripherals or anything. my upgrade has to be as cheap as possible, but i still do want it to be somewhat future proof. the p4 rig can support all the new p4s until the 8000 mhz ones come out, but the althon one seems to be rather limited, as the kt33 cant even ruyn the 2600+ - beyond at the 333 mhz bus, only the slower speed, i forget what it is. am i right? what woudl you poepel do? keep in mind money is very much the object,

i cant afford these upgrades every 4 months like some of you, so which one will be a very good value now (not necessarily the best), but will also have some upgradability options down the road? thanks for ur input.