AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE 125W CPU Review

Wed 2009-11-04 - Posted by Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan

Benchmark Reviews have posted a review of the new AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition, a Socket AM3 quad-core 3.4Ghz processor. Why do I say new when the Phenom II X4 965 BE was first launched in August? Well this new model sports a lower 125W TDP, which is 15W less than the original 140W X4 965 BE. This newer revision also supports C1E at the hardware level and DDR3-1333 memory speeds.

Here's what they had to say:

"AMD has done a great job refining the model HDZ965FBK4DGM AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE 125W processor, even though the die is constructed with the same 45nm process as before. Functionality has actually improved with the new model, as GlobalFoundries FAB1 has added C1E implementation on the hardware level, and DDR3 is now supported at 1333MHz for 'Heavy' loads. Let's not forget the 'Black Edition' label, which unlocks the clock multiplier and allows for unrestricted overclocking beyond the 3.4GHz default speed. With a small voltage increase and a bump to the multiplier, Benchmark Reviews was able to reach 4.2GHz with ease."

AMD have done a commendable job making a good processor a little bit better. Aside from the lower TDP, C1E support, and higher reference DDR3 frequency support, this new chip brings with it a new core revision, C3, which promises superior overclocking capabilities.

Click here to read the full review.

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