AMD Phenom 2 X4 965 Black Edition 3.4GHz Socket AM3

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 17 expert reviews

Excellent:

7
Good:

6
Average:

3
Bad:

1

Pros:

Fast stock speed.
Good performance.
Works with existing AM2+ motherboards.

Cons:

Overclocking.
High power consumption.

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Last revision on June 5, 2014

Reviewers Liked

Fast stock speed
Good performance
Works with existing AM2+ motherboards
Responds Well To Advanced Cooling Methods
Affordable
Reverse Compatible
Uses both DDR2 or DDR3 RAM
8MB of total cache
AMD OverDrive 3.0

Reviewers Didn't Like

Overclocking
High power consumption
Hasn't Caught Up To Intel Core i7
Lacks the performance of high-end Intel parts
Only a minor speed bump over previous-fastest Phenom II

Expert reviews and ratings

Looking back, quad-core processors have had quite the run already. Intel's first quad-core CPU, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 was released almost three years ago, with the much more popular Q6600 following up months later at a rather steep $850. As you...

By TechSpot on September 11, 2009

There were no surprises with the Phenom II X4 965 as it's identical to the 955 we tested months ago. The extra 200MHz were good for a small performance bump, widening the gap between AMD's flagship CPU and a comparatively priced Core 2 Quad...

By TechSpot on August 13, 2009

While Intel is rolling out new designs, AMD's focus is on getting the most out of its existing Phenom II process. The AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black edition is just what the doctor ordered....

By PC Authority on October 13, 2009

AMD has a new flagship desktop CPU in its lineup, the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition. As its name suggests, this chip is virtually identical to the 955 BE it supplants at the top of the Phenom II food chain, save for a couple of noteworthy attributes....

By ComputerPowerUser on September 10, 2009

It may come as something of a surprise, being that its Phenom CPUs have been AMDs high-end chips ever since they launched at the start of 2008, but its only with the launch of the Phenom II X4 965 BE that AMD has made its fastest ever CPU....

By Trusted Reviews on August 25, 2009

On that bombshell of a conclusion to the overclocking results, one has to wonder where to start with the overall summary of the AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition CPU. I guess we should start with performance, since that’s what people are most...

By FutureLooks on August 24, 2009

While the 965 BE is pretty quick, and certainly gives the once untouchable Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 a run for its money, we still wouldn't want to use it. A TDP of 140W is silly these days, and your cooler will let you know that every time you use...

By Bit-tech.net on August 17, 2009

The quad-core AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition processor is the fastest chip to date for the socket AM3 platform, and quite affordable at $265 CDN ($245 USD, £165 GBP). In terms of performance this 3.4GHz chip is slightly quicker in the...

By PCStats on August 14, 2009

AMD loves sending us samples of their latest chips, whether good or bad it doesnt matter. The Deneb core proved to be just the break they needed to get back in the game and theyve used that to their full advantage. Today we have their fastest quad...

By TechTree on August 14, 2009

CPU testing consists of more than just synthetic benchmarks, synthetic benchmarks are good for measuring performance differences between CPUs but it doesnt tell you a lot about real life performance. To that end we drove the Phenom 2 X4 965 BE in...

By Bjorn3D on August 13, 2009

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