CPUs > 2.0 MB and more CPUs > Dual-Core > 100 GBP to 199 GBP > by Socket

Advantages: Cheap, fast and cool
Disadvantages: it's not a quad core, £130 may be too much for some

It took a while for Intel to wake up and smell the prices of AMD shares recently (AMD being Intel's main competitor). After years of AMD taking bite after bite out of Intel's market share with innovative, efficient, fast and affordable processors, Intel finally did something about it and released the Core 2 processor. The dual and quad core CPU's completely blew AMD away and AMD still haven't caught up two years later. The Intel Core 2 E8400 is the ...
...advantage of quad cores and Intel has released it's next generation architecture called Nehalem, it's well worth saving your money - with the E8400 costing less than £130, it's value for money, especially if you're overclocking, is undeniable. Whether you're buying a new system with an E8400 in it or upgrading your existing system, the E8400 should be top of your list. ... Read review

Advantages: Fast, good overclocking potential; the best for games (and virtually all other applications)
Disadvantages: Runs fairly warm, but nothing terrible

As a gamer, I needed the best processor out there. Searching around, the only real debate in this price range was whether to go for the E6850, a dual core CPU, or the Q6600, a quad core at a lower clock. After looking at many different benchmarks and reviews, the answer was clear - the higher clocked part (the E6850) was a more power processor, giving better performance in games, and better performance in most ofther software applications as well. ...
...6 months ago when I bought this product; current applications do not need 4 cores to run quickly, especially games. If I was particularly interested in video editing, then I may have gone for a quad-core, but for my purposes it wasn't nescessary. Not only that, but I have used video editing software on this, and it will render incredibly quickly - I was blown away. So, the upshot is - what do you need to use your computer for? A few specialised ... Read review

Advantages: Dual-core performance for true multi-tasking
Disadvantages: Price a little bit more, but makes sense.

...in today's mainstream notebook PCs AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ / 3.2 GHz processor has given me a sigh of relief. So what's it bringing with itself? AMD64 technology brings your notebook PC to life with dual-core performance, superior graphics, and wireless technologies from AMD's technology partners. It's everything you need for an enhanced Windows Vista™* experience you can take with you anywhere and coming with a price that makes sense. # Key features ...
...and wireless capabilities from AMD technology partners ~AMD PowerNow!™ technology for performance on demand and extended system battery life ~Enhanced Virus Protection** (EVP) helps protect against certain viruses, worms, and other malicious attacks ~HyperTransport™ technology boosts overall system agility so applications are more responsive and deliver incredible performance # Compatibility wise: AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors for notebook ... Read review

Advantages: Fast, energy efficiant, cheap
Disadvantages: intel have announced 6 core cpus on the way

Excellent Processor, the usual simple to install and the stock fan does its job well. Very overclockable and can easily reach speeds of 3.0ghz without having to change the cooler. In my oppinion certainly worth picking up as great value for money also with the release and rapid take up of quad core cpus the price of these dual core processors is only going to carry on going lower, meaning if you dont have a need for 4 cores pumping out your office ...
...graphics work that need the extra cores, grab one of these. They will amaze you at the performance you will receive especially if upgrading from something a lot lower, i personally upgraded from a lowly AMD Athlon 2600 and was happier than a sandboy in a jam packed pub. ... Read review

Advantages: cheap & good processor!
Disadvantages: 1m cache

Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 / 1.8 GHz processor is helpful for those people who want to buy good processor but in cheapest rate. It is a stripped down low cost version of the Core 2 Duo. The performance of the processor at stock speed is good. As it is a dual core processor, its multitasking performance is very good. You can compare this processor with other in the following link: http://reviews.cnet.com/processors/intel-pentium-dual-core/4540-3086 ...
...only. But if you want to play games with it.. then the best configuration will be 1. 1333mhz capable motherboard 2. 2GB of DDR2 800mhz RAM 3. ATI 3850 or Geforce 8800gs graphics card 4. Western digital/ Maxtor hard disk 5. case, keyboard, mouse.....etc Installation of the processor is easy. It is same as core 2 duo. So no need to worried about it... ... Read review