250 just for the VC or 250 total? because you theoretically could do mobo + E4300 cpu combo and an 8600 for 250. (hmm.. tempting myself, actually)
CoffeeShark is a good forum member to ask about intel (Core 2 Duo) boards. there are others who can recommend good AMD boards. AMD is certainly a good budget way to go.
while a micro form factor, this is one of the leading fastest boards for AM2
http://www.gigabyte.us/Products/Moth...=GA-MA69GM-S2H