Best of the Best of the Best - CPU and GPU roundup

Some of you asked for it, so here it is. For those of you who are agnostic when it comes to choosing components from Intel, AMD or NVIDIA, then here is the fruits of the past four posts in the "Best of the Best" series in a single post!

Remember, we're not just looking at the best, but the best bang for the buck!

Previous posts in series: Intel CPUs | AMD CPUs | AMD GPUs | NVIDIA GPUs

Note: If you are interested in purchasing any of these components do a search using the terms I've highlighted in bold either via a search engine or at your favorite supplier. Also note that all prices are approximate.

Best Budget CPU and GPU 

• The best budget CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 425
• The best budget GPU: AMD XFX HD-555X-ZNF2 Radeon HD 5550

Best Mainstream CPU and GPU 

• The best mainstream CPU: AMD Athlon X4 630 
• The best mainstream GPU: NVIDIA EVGA 768-P3-1360-TR GeForce GTX 460

Best High-end CPU and GPU 

• The best high-end CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition
• The best high-end GPU: NVIDIA ZOTAC AMP! ZT-40102-10P GeForce GTX 480

Best Home Theater PC GPU 

The best HTPC GPU: AMD SAPPHIRE 100252HDMI Radeon HD 4550