Which of these two macs for fcp7?

[jjs1138]

I need to buy a second iMac for FCP7. This will not be my main production machine, so I'm spending as little as possible on it.
I have the option of a 20" 2.0 ghz core duo for $350 or a 17" 2.0 ghz core 2 duo for $450. I will of course add more ram to either configuration. Does the core 2 duo offer enough increase in performance to justify the smaller screen and extra $100?
Thanks

 

[CaptainChunk]

The Core 2 chips are a significant improvement to the original Core chips.

And IIRC, the original early 2006 (white) Intel iMac (Core chip) will only accept a maximum of 2GB of RAM, whereas the Core 2 (white) machines will take up to 4GB. That's something to think about, as 2GB can be restricting even on a basic FCP 7 rig.

 

[xStep]

Core 2 Duo chips are also 64-bit. That may give the system some extra future life.