Your right when you say I want a BEAST TO LAST, meaning I dont want to have to upgrade the sucker in 3 years, Graham is right, I use a cpu till its practically no longer usable. They last a long time.
The problem is this, the newest processors will always be expensive. Always. they'll come out with a 6 core processor and it will be the shiznit, ahead of its time and a hefty 1000 plus dollars for it. I dont want to spend that in 2008. It Freaking 2007 already!!
At the rate tech is going I was thinking about putting one foot in the door thats further ahead, from there I might even need to change the entire cpu again. Motherboard for the socket and the video cards are going to be like how the 128MB were 5 years ago.
But man, I want a break , the quads are freaking expensive, My budget is 3000, I want to cover the most important assets. Mother board, Processor FIRST. The ram I can upgrade, the video too.
I'm not rich here but i'm willing to invest. INVEST.
Let me know.