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AMD Phenom II X4 955 HDZ955FBGIBOX 3.2 GHz/6 MB L3/125W Processor | 
 enlarge | Brand: AMD
Category: CE
List Price: $299.00
Buy New: $182.62
You Save: $116.38 (39%)
New (3) from $182.62
Rating:  reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
CPU Manufacturer: AMD
CPU Speed: 3.2
Processors: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4
Warranty: 3 years warranty
MPN: HDZ955FBGIBOX
Model: HDZ955FBGIBOX
UPC: 730143267076
EAN: 0730143267076
ASIN: B00275G0VE
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Quad Core | | • | 3.2Ghz | | • | 8MB Cache | | • | AM3 Package | | • | DDR2/3 |
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| Similar Items:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
AMD Phenom II processors deliver unbeatable multi-core value with superior high definition computing, advanced multitasking performance, and innovative, energy efficient solutions.
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| Customer Reviews:
Very fast CPU May 19, 2009
P. Lam
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
I paired this CPU up with my Asus M4A79T. This was a huge improvement from my old processor, the Pentium D 820. There is a lot of head room when I got this to 3.6ghz easy. That was as far as I able to get stable on stock cooler, stock voltage. This is no i7 but it sure competes with the q9xxx series Intel CPUs. I hear this chip has a hard time going past 4.0ghz on air on a 64 bit OS. I'd have to try it out after I get a good heat sink fan.
Phenom II X4 955 BE @3.6ghz /w stock cooler
Asus M4A79T Deluxe
1600mhz Corsair 9 9 9 24
4890 Sapphire 1gb ddr5
WD Caviar Green 750gb 16mb
850w Corsair tx series
Lancool PC-K7B
Very powerful processor at a great price. January 4, 2010
Linguaphile (NY, USA)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
A lot of reviews online are written by computer hardware enthusiasts. Think of it as asking a person who testdrives Ferrari's for a living for advice when you want to buy a car for your everyday commuting needs, and she will probably start telling you how bad Toyota Prius is without paying attention to cost or your needs. In the world of processors, this is a very good BMW that you manage to buy at a very cheap price.
I don't play high-end games at full resolution on a 55 inch plasma tv, and neither do I have liquid nitrogen around to cool my processor down. It's not that this Phenom can't do that, but we're not really going to drive this BMW *ahem* Phenom at 500 miles down the highway, so an average person doesn't need an intel i7, especially that i7's, despite being more powerful, are far more expensive. Also keep in mind that an i7 requires triple channel memory and an expensive motherboard. My memory usage, when I have many programs open, never goes above 2GB, but it's not a bad idea to invest in a 4GB memory right now as applications are becoming more memory hungry by the day.
I have been using my old desktop for 7 years, and it served me well for that time. However, I mainly use my computer for multimedia and some minor programming. So, I needed a processor that was going to let me easily view and edit those huge images from my digital camera, let me play music while doing that, and let me keep multiple youtube tabs open, chat, use a modern browser, and that won't keep me waiting for minutes or even seconds for applications to launch, this processor has surpassed all of my expectations, and it helped me save a couple of hundred of dollars while building my new computer, which is always a great thing. I am a student and that's why money is always an issue, but I am sure that normal hard-working people also appreciate saving some of their hard-earned money.
To further demonstrate what I mean, let's consider an average desktop computer, a random pick would be the HP TouchSmart 600-1055, by looking at the specifications we can see that it comes with a 2.13 GHz dual core processor - two cores, and it has a price tag of more than a thousand dollars. You can put together a computer using this 3.2 GHz Phenom II X4 - four cores - for about $650, and this includes a very good full HD monitor. This shows how overrated most numbers are, but it's not a bad idea to invest in this AMD processor right now even if you're not going to harness its full power through your everyday use, which is to have a future-proof computer, as two or three years from now programs and new operating systems may call for four cores at such high speeds. Again, I will use that BMW analogy, what's the use of buying an expensive Ferrari - intel i7 - when there are no highways where you can drive at 250 mph. Buying a BMW will provide you will all the comfort of a family-friendly sedan, and the ability to safely drive at 150mph per hour if speed limits are suddenly lifted.
What are cores about? Well, my 8 years old pc had one processor - a single core, and this means that all the applications had to share that processor. Think of it as having one adult at a daycare center taking care of many little children - open applications. Four cores means that you have four small processors on this small CPU chip, each clocked at 3.2 GHz, this means that the children will get better care as there are going to be many adults around taking care of their needs. Some high-end programs have also started using more than one core in their operation to speed things up, and this trend is very likely to continue with AMD and intel mentioning more cores as a part of their plans for future processors. HP TouchSmart 600-1055's processor only has two adults around, while this Phenom has four adults waiting to tend to the needs of all the children - waiting to serve your applications, they will even share the workload at times.
Personally, I never saw my cpu usage rise above 10%-15% with this processor. This means that Opera 10 web browser with 20-40 open tabs, all the applications running in the background, watching high definition movies, and a couple of open chat windows in addition to a music player playing all of my music collection. It handles everything well and nothing ever slows down, which is what I expect from a fine processor like this.
As for the installation, it was very easy. The box contains the processor, a user manual + warranty, and a CPU fan and heatsink. I literally installed it into my motherboard's AM3 socket in two minutes, and I haven't put a computer together for any of my friends for more than 3 years. Even the heatsink didn't take any time to be properly aligned and working. What's more, it's the first time ever for me to assemble an AMD computer. So, it was not an issue. It made the somewhat scary task of assembling a computer less scary.
As for performance, I can not keep up with my computer. Everything is almost instantaneous. What more can I ask for from a computer processor?
Windows 7 works just fine, and so is everything else. Really, this is the perfect processor. If you're considering a new computer, get one of those, and take my word on it, you won't regret it.
Notes:
- Phenom II X4 955 and Phenom II X4 965, what's the difference?
I don't think that there's any real difference between the 140W 965 available at Amazon at the time of writing and this processor. This processor can be overclocked - i.e. made to run faster - to run at 3.4 GHz just like the 965. The 965 available here consumes more power - 140W, and is more expensive at the time of writing. The difference is $25, but I still prefer this 125W Phenom. If you find a 125W Phenom II X4 965, don't mind paying a little extra, and don't plan to overclock, then get the 965, if not then get this. The 200Mhz aren't really going to make that much difference.
- What about the intel i5?
The i5 is a really good processor, but putting a system together with an i5 costs a lot of money even though it's only priced at $200. The reason is that a good motherboard for the i5 will really be expensive. I did consider buying an i5 - this is my first time using an AMD processor, but then I figured out that it's really not worth it. Both almost are the same. AMD also remain faithful to their sockets, which means that I am highly likely to be able to use the same motherboard 2-3 years from now for a new AMD processor.
- What about the Phenom II X3 720?
The X3 720 is a great processor with three functional cores and a fourth core that can be unlocked. However, the fourth core may be unstable and the price difference is only $35. As more applications use more cores, this extra core of the X4 will start making a real difference.
- What about the sockets: AM3, AM2+, AM2?
The socket is the place on the motherboard where you put your processor. As time went by, AMD's new processors started using new sockets, but they still remained backward-compatible. This means that this AM3 processor will work on older AM2+ and AM2 motherboards. If you're using an AMD computer and are wondering whether you will need a new motherboard or not, just remove the side panel of your case, write down the name and the model of your motherboard, and then use google to find the specifications of your motherboard and check whether it has an AM2+ socket or not. You will probably need to download and install a BIOS update in order for your motherboard to use this AM3 processor. Remember that you should buy DDR2 ram if you will use a motherboard that doesn't have an AM3 socket.
Fast CPU August 19, 2009
P. Cameron (Jersey City, NJ)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
This CPU was used for first build. The processor itself is very easy to install, stock cooler was a little tougher.
CPU is very fast and able to run anything without a hiccup. Even when running a torture test I was still able to play songs in iTunes, watch a movie, or play a game without any hesitation from the processor.
My only problem was when running prime 95 processor would creep above 60C with stock cooler, I was thinking the thing was defective and thought about returning it. Tried re-seating the stock cooler and used arctic silver as my thermal compound instead. Still kept going above 60C.
Decided to try under-volting and was able to get the chip to idle under 40 and no higher than 54 at full-load which alleviated my concern that I had a faulty product. Will be buying an after market cooler soon.
Overall very happy with my purchase, processor performs very well, I'm not sure why anyone would want something faster.
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P
Phenom II x4 955
Western Digital 1TB 32MB Cache
Radeon 1 GB HD 4870
OCZ DDR3 1600 MHz
amd has done it again! September 14, 2009
D. Fox (bellingham, Ma United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
wonderful cpu, goes fast, very stable, 4 cores! i usually dont use more than 2 cores and i havent used more than 3, unless im load testing or benchmarking... OCed to 3.71 ghz with the coolermaster v8 (on a side note, buy it, its awesome) i havent seen my cpu hit 50C yet and ive fully loaded it and the vcore is up to 1.45! its an amd product so you know its great, i bought this cpu when it first came out thinking that ya its amd so its good... now im so pleased with this product i would have paid $300 for it!(i paid about $220 when it came out) i highly recommend this cpu, and i would recommend the 965 but i havent personally put it through its paces so i cant really say. i assume the 965 is just as good if not better because it is an amd product
BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK!! this will run any game at great frame rates! September 30, 2009
Anonymous (Plotting)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
No trouble at all with this CPU.
Runs Crysis PERFECTLY with GF285
(nothing overclocked)
insane value considering how fast this cpu is..
while the i7 is "faster" for the difference in price vs the little visual difference in performance, i have to say i would wait on the i7
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