which cpu for oc?

i have 200 bucks canadian to spend on upgrades, and im thinking of buying a new psu and cpu.

I have an msi k7n2 delta lnforce 2 mobo, with a tt volcano 12. My current psu is a 300W no name atx, and my current cpu is a 1800+ pally. Which psu/cpu combination would be the best bang for my buck? (thinking maybe 2500 barton?)

If you have PC3200 RAM then get 2500+.
If you have PC2700 RAM then get 2100+ T-Bred B since 2500+ Bartons are now multiplier locked so you may be limited to FSB only overclocking and PC2700 can't hit well into the 200s FSB.

2100+ B has not been reported as locked by anyone anywjere (yet).

Fortron or Sparkle PSUs offer best bang for the buck.

Power Supply Unit can take out all your other components.
Many PSU manufacturers list specs that do not reflect true capabilities of their products so all info on the PSU label doesn't mean much except for the brand, just look for the brand:

All Antecs (Channel Well) are good (Antec True Power is better), Fortron (Sparkle), Sirtec (Enlight, Vantec, Thermaltake), or more expensive Herolchi (Heroichi), PC Power and Cooling, or not as good but not dangerous HEC, TTGI, Zalman (Aopen).

how quiet are the fortron's?

Excellent question. I tested Antec vs. Fortron and yes dual fan Antec's are quieter although single fan Fortrons are not too loud, but noticebly louder than dual fan Antecs.

I'd say equally rated Fortron beats Antec though + my Sl350 Antec just burned my mobo so if you get an Antec, make sure it's a TruePower not SmartPower. At the very least tp380, since tp330s are no good for overclocking, people report.

thatd all fit into my >200 budget? And think my money would be better spent otherwise?

I might end up just buying better ram. My friend was gunna trade me pc3200 ram for my pc2100 in exchange for helping him mod a case he was going to sell. He's making his friend a computer out of old parts of his own computer so that this poor, money challenged individual can get one. So i was planning on stealthing it perhaps. cutting all the fan grills out etc.

off topic. So ya, if that duznt happen i think i ll get ram. Or should i get a graphics card....

my current card is a geforce ti4200 128mb (msi). It's not the best, but it performs. If not i ll save up the extra money and by a 9600xt.

good plan?

Ti4200 is an excellent card. To this day it's between the sub $99 ti4200 and $199 Radeon 9800 I think, as anything inbetween may not be worth it.

A PSU that'll fit a low budget is a $30-something Fortron or Sparkle.

whats with the honeycombing on the backside of the psu? how come no fan? just a different design? better or worse than fan at the back?

the big fan on the bottom exhausting from the cpu looks good tho. that wouldnt end up sucking air out of my cpu hs and making it heat up would it?

Sorry that was an old link, it didn't take it to the old Fortron 350 watts for $30-something.