E8400 vs Q8400 vs Q9550

[alhanelem]

my pc specs:

e5400 OC'd to 3.32Ghz
MSI G31M3 Mobo
GTS 250 palit e green (about the same performance as a 9800 gtx)
2 GB ddr2 ram
550 watt great wall power supply
Win XP pro SP3
19" LCD at 1440X900
playing games such as GTA4, Bioshock 2, Last Remnant, and more games when they come out.

i wanted to get rid of my old cpu with either:

a e8400 at $269
http://www.dcomponline.com.au/productview.asp?proid=7185

a Q8400 at $269
http://www.dcomponline.com.au/productview.asp?proid=7303

or a Q9550 at $369
http://www.dcomponline.com.au/productview.asp?proid=7179

Of course i know the q9550 is the better choice BUT its a lot more expensive and will take me forever to save up some money
im also thinking of getting win 7 64 bit and an extra 2 gigs of ram but this will also take me longer to get if i get the Q9550

soooo......
should i:
a) get a e8400/q8400 and win 7 + 2 GB ram
b) get a Q9550 and win 7 + 2 GB ram
c) wait for something better...

(sorry for the really long length)


EDIT:
q8400 at $230, e8400 at $225 and Q9400 at $255
http://www.f1tech.com.au/file/1267588923.pdf

EDIT 2:
Q8400 at $217
http://www.dcacomputers.com.au/shop/images/pricelist/dcaplist.pdf

 

[Raidur]

If it hasn't been mentioned microcenter has Q9550s for under $200. That's simply the best price/performance deal on LGA 775.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

If it hasn't been mentioned microcenter has Q9550s for under $200. That's simply the best price/performance deal on LGA 775.

OP is in Australia..........

 

[alhanelem]

i still haven't decided if i should get a q8400 or q9400, but now im looking into seeing if i can cool down my current setup by getting some fans and an aftermarket cooler.

 

[Raidur]

OP is in Australia..........

Doh! Guess that's why nobody mentioned it(MC) eh?