AMD Phenom 2 X4 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz Socket AM2+

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 16 expert reviews

Excellent:

6
Good:

6
Average:

3
Bad:

1

Pros:

Definite upgrade for all earlier AM2/AM2processors.
Top choice for building a new AMD DDR2 rig.
Overclocked well.

Cons:

With the release of AM3, it's a hard decision whether to build AM2or AM3.
A bit pricey.

TechSpot is supported by its audience. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Last revision on June 5, 2014

Reviewers Liked

Definite upgrade for all earlier AM2/AM2processors
Top choice for building a new AMD DDR2 rig
Overclocked well
Unlocked multiplier
Overclocks easily
Unlocked Black Edition allows unrestricted overclocking*
Excellent real-world quad-core performance
Lower Power Usage
Better Gaming Scores

Reviewers Didn't Like

With the release of AM3, it's a hard decision whether to build AM2or AM3
A bit pricey
Needs high voltage to overclock beyond 3.6GHz
Will not work on AM3 motherboards
Does not include DDR3 memory support
Limited to DDR2 Memory
Clock-for-clock slower than Intel
Requires BIOS upgrade for existing motherboards

Expert reviews and ratings

100

Although not exactly the best value in this group AMD's Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition has solid overclocking potential....

By ITP.net on March 29, 2010

100

Again, the testing results were expected, with good results from the Phenom 9950, better results from the Phenom 940 at stock clock, and the best from the 940 at overclock.As I had hoped and expected, the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition is a definite...

By ThinkComputers on April 27, 2009

Pricing With its Phenom processors showing signs of weakness right from the start, the Phenom IIs are a saving grace for AMD and their adopters alike by demonstrating very good performance. Their flagship Black Edition processor is available now for...

By TechTree on March 05, 2009

In the majority of our gaming benchmarks and some of the CPU tests, the 3.0GHz AMD Phenom II X4 940BE either matched or outperformed the 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-920 processor. For many, performance may be defined as a artificial score from a synthetic...

By Benchmark Reviews on February 12, 2009

Finally, the socket AM2+ Phenom II processors will be forward-compatible with the upcoming AM3 socket and will support both DDR2 and DDR3. This effectively lets users upgrade their systems piecemeal, which is always a nice...

By ComputerPowerUser on January 16, 2009

AMD’s Phenom II is a solid alternative to Intel’s Core 2 Quad range of CPUs. It should definitely be considered if you’re in the market for a speedy yet reasonably priced PC....

By Good Gear Guide on January 14, 2009

Last month we gave caution a kicking and proclaimed AMDs return from the dead. Our first taste of AMDs new 45nm CPU architecture came with Opteron server sauce and it went down pretty well. Now AMD has served up the main desktop 45nm course in the...

By TechRadar on January 09, 2009

The Phenom II X4 is really what AMD should have released as the first wave of Phenom processors. It offers enhanced performance and higher overclocks, and at 45nm, it also provides class-leading power consumption numbers. The Phenom II X4 is...

By Sharky Extreme on January 09, 2009

Good fun for overclockers and upgraders, but performance fiends will look for bluer...

By Atomic MPC on January 09, 2009

And so, at the end of our long and windy road, with our results in hand, we must ask ourselves, is Phenom II worth your hard earned dollar? The answer that I am invariably left with is \"that depends\". For an existing AM2+ user, the potential for...

By Club Overclocker on January 08, 2009

Load More Reviews…