Crypto, you've a weird concept of "cost effective cpu for a win xp based pc". :D
p.s. off topic but it's my own thread, so, yeah: did you record some stuff with yout gear?

yeah!
it's awesome
i'll post some audio tomorrow

did you see the most recent pics of the studio?
http://www.sonicyouth.com/gossip/showthread.php?t=5596

scroll down

i'd stick with a core2duo.

intel is working on a new cpu microarchitecture that will change the fsb and end the need for a large cache, and amd has a dubious future, but the core2duo has wide enough of a user base that it will continue to be sold for some time in the future. (more on amd's troubles here).

i'm still running a p4 in my video editing machine & it works without trouble. might take a little longer than a newer cpu to render & encode & shit of that sort but it works perfectly fine.

the thing with the core2duo is if you buy a cheap one today you might be able to upgrade a couple of years from now to speeds that currently are unavailable to you.

if you want your system to have a good upgrade path, get the best and more future-proof motherboard you can afford, 2 gigs of ram and a normal cpu. then you can add/replace components as time passes.

if you've chosen an amd platform already just get whatever you can at this point.

AMD dual core works great for running Sonar Home Studio. I've tried Cubase too, but that program blows - there's a reason they give it away for free with every piece of computer recording equipment. Most of the XP tweaks will only give you limited performance improvement compared to the big two: turn off internet and turn off anti-virus software.

You probably already found a sound card, but if you're ever looking for a good mixer for computer applications, try the SoundCraft Compact 4 mixer.

:confused:

blah!
E4500 (or E4600) FTW. Or E6600 if the price drop announced for april 20th will have some effect over here :(
the title of this thread is getting more and more misleading...

just go with the cheap & splurge on the mobo.

mobo = more crucial for future proofing

!@#$%,

My mistake. I have an AMD Athlon 64 with dual core, not core2duo.

I already have a decent one got really cheap (p5b-VM) that's pretty all-in-one with stuff I needed (on board graphic, digital audio out, firewire port). Not the most future proof you can get, but should work pretty solid for a decent time span and I got it so cheap that when it will become a limitation for the system I won't cry replacing it.

ah ha ha yea. core2duo is by amd's nemesis.

the dualcore athlon64/opteron in an impressive cpu but since amd is in a bit of trouble the future of its line of products is uncertain. so the availability of good motherboards is going to be reduced.

oh asus is solid. just get the $120 cpu man. save your cash for things like signorinas :D

oh, I wish there were 120$ cpus over here :D

still, the e6600 is double the price of the e4500 and you most definitely do not need the extra processing power. i'd take the leftover cash over the extra cpu cycles.