If we were all filthy rich and had magic bottomless wallets, we'd all be buying PC with the priciest, most ridiculously high-end CPUs. Such is not the case for most of us though. Performance must always be weighed against budgetary constraints. Also, the CPU isn't the only variable in the equation. We have to consider graphics cards, memory, storage... It's almost enough to drive people insane.

To help prevent an outbreak of foaming-at-the-mouth madness, ExtremeTech's David Case decided to take a look at the CPU side of the equation. Case compared 5 Intel Core 2 Duo processors (E6300, E6400, E6600, E6700, and Core 2 Extreme X6800) and 5 AMD X2 AM2 processors (3800+, 4200+, 4600+, 5000+, and FX-62) based on each processor's performance in 5 different tests, including media content creation and PC gaming. In the tests, the processors vary but everything else stays the same.

Final verdict? Let's hear it from the reviewer himself: "It's clear that Intel's Core 2 Duo lineup offers superior performance across the product line when compared with AMD's Athlon 64 X2. In some applications, even a lower-cost Core 2 Duo can outperform some of the higher-end Athlon 64 X2s."

In other applications though, it's not so clear. For a lot of users, adequate performance is good enough, especially when we factor in the prices. Says Case, "AMD's Athlon 64 X2 3800+ certainly offers great value, at under $160, and even the 4200+ can be found for under $200. However, the overall "sweet spot" seems to be the two midrange Intel CPUsÂ?the Core 2 Duo E6400 and E6600. The E6600 offers a higher clock rate and larger L2 cache, while the E6400 can be found for well under $250."

As for the the Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800, Case concludes that it "is simply in a class by itself. If you're willing to blow over $800 for a processor, then going a couple hundred bucks more doesn't seem quite so extreme."

Read the full review by clicking on the 'read' link below.