Intel BOXDB65ALB3 Mobo: $89.99
Intel Core i3-2105: $139.99 This one has the HD 4000 gpu and is only $10 more than the cheapest one.
1x8GBG-Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3: $58.49. You can get more RAM as you go along (preferably not individually as shipping's expensive).
Grand total: $288.47. And you have plenty of room for expansion.
Phenom Quad core has nothing to fear from a i3 dual core. But excellent to show the op has another affordable solution but in my humble opinion the i3 just doesn't have enough horse power other than for pure business applications.
That's the price you pay (literally) for buying more of an old tech as opposed to spending the money more wisely, or saving it towards a larger upgrade. DDR3 has been around for quite some time now, so there was little reason to buy DDR2 which is more expensive.
As for your initial question, do you want to throw money away on a less-functional platform, or do you want to spend 1/3 of the cost for a more powerful system, the ability to run nearly any program you want, and the ability to upgrade in time as you see fit?
It always seems like a very simple equation. There's nothing about a Mac that justifies the cost.
We'll wait for the op to get back to us as to the best direction now that he knows there are loads of relatively cheap options. I agree absolute zero need to buy a Mac. I've shown a excellent way to stay with the ram he just bought and still power on for many years. Otherwise there are of course are more expensive options that would future proof for added cost and only he'll have the answer to this question of how far does he want to take this situation.
though I'd probably recommend going with 4GB per RAM stick if you're staying with Home Premium, as that's limited to 16GB or RAM.
It's cheaper, too.
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