if you want cheap prices, you won't get it from Intel. Not saying it as a AMD fanboy just stating the obvious. You can usually buy 8-10 physical same core count processors on AMD to make the price of 1 intel physical processor. Intel has the performance advantange and they charge because of it. Ever since AMD bowed down, Intel has raised their prices. Regardless, Intel still leases AMD 64bit technology and AMD seems to have better virualized hardware than intel. But again, because intel has better performance in meaningless stats, everyone who loves intel will disput the fact that I may be correct.