In a quiet move, earlier this week, Intel added two new microprocessors to their range. The Core 2 Duo E5200 and the Core 2 Quad Q8200, both built upon the 45nm fabrication process, have relatively cheap prices. And although performance-wise they’re mediocre, they are well-suited for overclocking fans, due to their low clock frequencies (2.5 Ghz. for the E5200 and 2.33 Ghz. for the Q8200) yet high overclock potential offered by the 45nm technology.

The E5200 will draw you back around $84 and the Quad-Core Q8200 costs $224, and although both are good deals for their clock range, they do have some performance drawbacks: for one, the Q8200 lacks Intel Virtualization Technology, which is a standard on older Kentsfield and most of the Yorkfield-based processors, and their L2 cache sizes (2MB and 4MB respectively) are a bit low; for comparison Kentsfield processors have twice that much.

All things considered, as far as quad core processors are concerned the Q6600 would probably be a better bet in this price range. Although it is based on 65 nm fabrication technology (and thus has less overclocking potential), offers twice the L2 cache and is $40 cheaper. For $30 more you can upgrade directly to the Q9300.

For those seeking an AMD alternative, we propose the AMD Phenom 9950 Black Edition, which at 2.6Ghz, 512kL2, 2MB L3 and $179.99 is serious competition for the Q6600. The 9950’s only major disadvantage is heat, with a TDP of 140W.

Intel’s new series of chips will sit well with overclock enthusiasts, but they hardly constitute a major breakthrough of technology. They are however a nice addition to Intel’s processor lineup this year and are definitely options to keep in mind when shopping for processors on a budget.