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1 2 3 4 5 6 NextAMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
Apr. 23, 2009 by Lawrence Lee
| Product |
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition AM3 Processor |
| Manufacturer |
AMD |
| Volume Price |
US$245 |
The release of the Phenom II series of processors was a step in the right direction
for AMD. The new design generated more performance per clock and allowed for
higher frequency chips. Priced aggressively, the Phenom II X4 920 and 940 Black
Edition were economically viable alternatives for Intel's Core 2 line. It wasn't
a knockout blow, but AMD had in essence, caught up. The X4 920 and 940 however
are AM2+ processors, and AMD is currently in the middle of a transitioning to
the new AM3 socket with DDR3 memory support. Up to this point their AM3 processors
have lagged behind the X4 940's 3.0 GHz clock speed.
Today AMD unveils the newest AM3 members of the Phenom II family. The X4 945
matches the X4 920's 3.0 GHz frequency while the X4 955 Black Edition (with
unlocked multiplier) becomes AMD's new flagship CPU, clocked at 3.2 GHz.
|
Our X4 955 Black Edition sample.
|
The new Phenoms have the same amount of cache and power rating as their AM2+
counterparts, though they are clocked much higher than AMD's current AM3 lineup.
The X4 955 BE and 945 supplant the X4 940's top position, and in anticipation
of this release, AMD has dropped the 940's price making it an extremely attractive
option. The aggressive pricing makes it clear as day that AMD wants to battle
Intel on value.
|
Model
|
Freq.
|
Total L2 Cache
|
L3 Cache
|
Socket
|
TDP
|
Best Retail
|
Mfg. Price
|
|
Intel Q9650
|
3.00 GHz
|
12MB
|
N/A
|
LGA775
|
95W
|
$322
|
$316
|
|
Intel Q9550
|
2.83 GHz
|
12MB
|
N/A
|
LGA775
|
95W
|
$269
|
$266
|
|
X4 955 BE
|
3.20 GHz
|
2MB
|
6MB
|
AM3
|
125W
|
TBD
|
$245
|
|
X4 945
|
3.00 GHz
|
2MB
|
6MB
|
AM3
|
125W
|
TBD
|
$225
|
|
Intel Q9400
|
2.66 GHz
|
6MB
|
N/A
|
LGA775
|
95W
|
$220
|
$213
|
|
X4 940 BE
|
3.00 GHz
|
2MB
|
6MB
|
AM2+
|
125W
|
$169
|
$195
|
|
X4 920
|
2.80 GHz
|
2MB
|
6MB
|
AM2+
|
125W
|
$169
|
$195
|
|
X4 810
|
2.60 GHz
|
2MB
|
4MB
|
AM3
|
95W
|
$168
|
$175
|
|
X3 720 BE
|
2.80 GHz
|
1.5MB
|
6MB
|
AM3
|
95W
|
$134
|
$145
|
|
X3 710
|
2.60 GHz
|
1.5MB
|
6MB
|
AM3
|
95W
|
$119
|
$125
|
The new Phenom II may not be more power efficient, as they retain
the original Phenom II's thermal design power rating of 125W. This higher power
draw will translate into higher electricity bills, possibly enough to offset
any savings gained by taking advantage of AMD's tempting prices depending on
the amount of usage. The X4 955 BE's direct competitor is the 95W Intel Core
2 Quad Q9550, a 2.83 GHz chip priced about $20 higher.
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