Doesn't really matter whether or not you go AMD or Intel. AMD is cheaper, and you'll get a good bit more bang for your buck. If money is an issue, as you stated, I would recommend you get an AMD Athlon XP processor (CPU). Get atleast a Athlon XP 2500+, although I would recommend the Athlon XP 3200+, it may be out of your price range. Then pick a motherboard. For the AMD Athlon XP you will need a Socket A motherboard that will support the chip. For a reasonably priced motherboard, I recommend the
ASUS A7N8X.
And another thing: don't go cheap on a power supply! I can't tell you how many $30-$70 generic and no-name brands I have had to replace for people. Most of the time they took it to the local Mom & Pop's computer store and paid $150 to have a $30 power supply put in that died two months later. Just because a case comes with a power supply (PSU) doesn't mean it's a good one. However there are a few companies that make very good case/PSU combos (Antec & Thermaltake are two of the best).
Look here for some reasonably priced case and PSU combos that will last a good while.
Before we recommend RAM or a graphics card, it would be nice to know what type of games you play. It would be really beneficial to everyone. By you saying "play games" I think Doom 3, World of Warcraft, Half Life 2, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Quake 3, Unreal Tournament 2004, Counter Stink, etc. However some people just play solitaire, mah jong, shockwave games (bejewelled, etc.), Tetris, etc. and consider that "playing games". The more info you give us, the better we can help you.
Now, we won't be able to view your shopping cart. We don't have your cookies. Just post a link to the webpage of each of the products you are considering and we will give you our honest opinoin.