I would like to spend as little as possible on my
initial upgrade of Case, m/b, cpu (low budget), 512mb ddr & hdd.

If you were to go with an Athlon XP-M 2500+, you could pick up a
Codegen case, an Abit NForce 2 motherboard, the chip, and some memory for
just a touch over $300, leaving the hard drive of your choice for you to
add in. And with the unlocked multiplier of the XP-M, you can turn the
FSB up to 400 easily. Nearly all of them will hit XP 3200+ speeds, with
good cooling, many will go somewhat higher.

No, you probably won't be able to upgrade the CPU - but how often do you
upgrade the CPU without the motherboard? As far as a low-cost setup goes,
that rig will give you a *LOT* for your money. You may not have the
bragging rights, but for what you pay, you'll get a VERY good performer.

steve