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It is hard to believe that the Phenom II X2 550 can be had for just $100 US. For this money consumers are getting a dual-core Phenom II processor with a 1MB L2 cache, 6MB L3 cache, that operates at 3.10GHz and has a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of just 80 watts! For the most part the Phenom II X2 550 proved to be faster than the Core 2 Duo E7400, which costs 20% more at $120 US. Although the Phenom II X2 550 did show one or two weaknesses, it was the gaming performance that impressed us the most. Not only was this new AMD processor faster than the E7400 in all three tested games, it was also comparable to the Phenom II X4 910. This is exciting news as the Phenom II X2 550 at $100 US could be paired with the Radeon HD 4770, which also costs $100 US, making for what could possibly be the cheapest and most powerful gaming platform ever. The ATI Radeon HD 4770 blew us away with its phenomenal performance, particularly when placed in Crossfire mode. The Phenom II X2 550 clocked at 3.10GHz has enough horse power to accelerate not one but two Radeon HD 4770 graphics cards to full speed if need be. Imagine being able to play a game such as Call of Duty World at War for example, in all its glory at resolutions up to 2560x1600 on a system that costs less than $500 US. Back when we tested the Radeon HD 4770 graphics cards in Crossfire mode, they delivered 88fps at 1920x1200 and 55fps at 2560x1600 in Call of Duty World at War. Additionally, a single Radeon HD 4770 managed 61fps. Based on current pricing, we believe users can build a Phenom II X2 550 gaming system using the Radeon HD 4770 with 4GB of DDR2 memory on a decent AM2+ motherboard, for around $300 US, which is simply amazing! The other great news is because these components use such a small amount of power when compared to other gaming related hardware, they will make for a cool and quiet computer. Furthermore, the Phenom II X2 550 appears to be the ultimate upgrade solution for those looking to build a brand new computer from the ground up, or simply those looking to give their old AM2 rig a little more juice. This is because the Phenom II X2 550 can be installed on a range of AMD platforms, starting with their latest AM3 socket, to the older AM2+, and even AM2 sockets. Additionally, this also means that the Phenom II X2 range will support DDR2 and DDR3 memory.
There is a lot to like about the new Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition processor, and while this includes performance, power consumption, price, and flexibility, there is something else... overclocking performance! Although we had very little time to play with the Phenom II X2 550 before getting this review online, we were able to reach a completely stable overclock of 3.90GHz by simply tweaking the clock multiplier and core voltage. The 25% frequency boost came all too easy, and with the aid of an upgraded air-cooler (Thermolab Baram) the temperatures were incredibly low. Therefore, we believe by throwing more voltage at the processor, it should be able to crack the 4.0GHz barrier. Overall we really like the new Phenom II X2 550 processor, as it is an excellent alternative to the Intel Core 2 Duo series, and with a recommended retail price of just $100, it’s a bargain. Reviewed By Steven Walton |
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