Later this year the new cores will be ready, but if you don't want to wait for AM-2 or Conroe there is still great systems to build.  Extremetech puts together a Core-Duo Pentium system to while away the time.

If you find yourself with the urge, check out the newly updated PC Perspective Hardware Leaderboard!

"If you want to build a system soon, you're faced with something of a dilemma: Both Intel and AMD

are planning substantial upgrades to their CPUs this year. In the case of AMD, they're simply

moving the existing architecture to DDR2/667 and a new socket format. Otherwise, there are no

substantial changes coming this year from AMD.

Intel, on the other hand, is readying a new architecture for their desktop PCs that's

substantially different from the existing NetBurst (Pentium D and Pentium 4) CPUs. Although it

borrows a few elements from NetBurst, and adds a few twists of its own (such as single-cycle SSE

instruction execution), it's more similar to the current Intel mobile architecture than to

current Pentium D processors."

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

  
Systems

• Samsung plans Origami PC launch @ CNET
• HyperKore HK-Xtreme

  Review @ FastLaneHW.com

• Dell XPS 600 Renegade

  Systems Sell Out @ Legit Reviews