While at SolidWorks World a couple of weeks ago we heard good things about these processors which in some benchmarks apparently outperform dual-processor boxes. The guy who sits next to me actually has a box that was purchased recently w/ one of these guys. I am personally pretty impressed w/ it.
Yes--check out cadalyst.com for their reviews. So far, the Core 2 Duo systems seem to outpace AMD's selection. With the current chip wars in progress, you ought to be able to find a good deal on a fast machine right now.
(I'd recommend staying away from Vista if you want to get any work done in the near future.)
Yes, we just installed 22 new dells with core 2 duo's and have enjoyed every minute of it. these machines are lighting fast even with a 200+ model 90% surfacing.
CJ Goodrich
Product Design Engineer
Leatherman Tool Group
Portland, Oregon
(I'm hoping Dell gets their act together--don't like the performance of my laptop from them too much, given their competition in that price range <regret>.)
