i got a athlon myself, however, i built a machine for my bro consisting of a duron 800.
i sometimes feel i could have done with a duron as its so darn stable.
im very pleased of it, and no matter what people think of duron (cheapy amd's) they are very stable.... and not just for small usage either.
I think if you're on a budget, i would go for duron.
heck, even if you have money, go for a duron and spend the extra ££$$ on a graphics or sound card heh.