I just used this processor in a build for my father-in-law. As I researched processors, this one stood out for the price/performance ratio. If you're looking to build a computer with a reasonable budget and performance that will fit average needs for the next several years, this is the processor to get. Stepping down to a dual core will only save you $15-25, and stepping up to other quad cores or 6-cores will cost you a premium compared to the performance gain (which you probably won't even notice for most home-user tasks).
While benchmarks don't tell everything, they can at least give you a general idea of where a processor rates compared to others on the market. Compared to others in the $85-$110 range, this one seemed to stand out because:
*It's a Phenom II AM3 socket vs. an Athlon2 or a Phenom II Dual core
*It's Quad Core vs. Dual core
*It's lower wattage than comparable Quad-cores in this price range
*To step down to a dual core didn't really save all that much money.
While this isn't the "Black Edition", I don't plan to overclock it, so that wasn't a factor for me. I built myself a computer a couple years ago using a AMD HDZ940XCGIBOX Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz Cache 8MB AM2+ 125W Processor - Retail and have never even bothered with it. I did use a dual core in a build for my wife's grandma, and this is a perfectly fine option if you're trying to shave every dollar off the cost. In fact, saving $25 on a processor and using it toward more RAM might be a better choice if you're just using email and surfing the occasional webpage like she does.
Since it's AM3, you can use it in AM2+ motherboards as well, whereas buying an AM2+ socket processor won't be compatible with AM3 only motherboards.
The only negative observations I've had so far:
*The heatsink & fan seemed fairly basic, but at least this retail version comes with it in the box. Heatsink was smaller than the processor I mentioned above, but that's likely b/c it's 95W vs. 125W.
* The heat paste applied to the heatsink had some tiny dust/cardboard particles in it. I had to try and get those out without disturbing the paste. AMD could do a better job of dusting and sealing the heatsink instead of just putting a plastic cover over it. That allowed dust from the packing material to get into the heat paste.
For reference, here's the processors I compared this one to to evaluate the price/performance ratio. Obiously, changes in pricing will affect the order:
Processor / Passmark Score / Price / Value (higher=better)
Phenom II X4 840........../ 3894 /100/ 38.94
Athlon II X4 640.........../ 3517 / 96/ 36.64
Phenom II X4 955 BE...../ 3938 /130/ 30.29
Phenom II X6 1090T BE../ 6045 /200/ 30.23
Athlon II X2 250.........../ 1712 / 58/ 29.52
Phenom II X6 1055......../ 5188 /180/ 28.82
Phenom II X4 965 BE...../ 4272 /150/ 28.48
Athlon II X2 255.........../ 1827 / 65/ 28.11
Phenom II X2 555 BE...../ 1967 / 88/ 22.35
Phenom II X2 560 BE...../ 2134 /100/ 21.34
I found this locally at a huge computer store that gave a $40 instant discount on a motherboard when you purchase an AMD. With this I was able to build a really nice system. This also made my choice to stick with AMD vs. considering Intel.
Good luck making the best choice for you, hopefully this has been helpful if you're considering this processor. AMD Phenom II X4 840 Edition Deneb 3.2 GHz 4x512 KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail HDX840WFGMBOX (Black)
I had my son set up on an older nForce Abit board with a Phenom 9850 Quad-core (125watt). The CPU was always running hot and just never seemed to run right.
I ended up using this CPU with a nForce MSI NF750-G55. This CPU is only 95 watts so it runs cool and quiet. There is no L3 Cache, but at 3.2 Ghz, it doesn't seem to make a difference
compared to the older 9850 at 2.5 Ghz. The lack of L3 cache shows it is basically a faster Athlon X4, but they still call it a Phenom. Its been up for several weeks with zero problems.
Needed something that would fit the limitations of my motherboard AM2+ 95W. This fit the bill and has worked flawlessly. It comes with OEM fan which I did not use, preferring my much more robust aftermarket cooling. Good bang for the buck.
It is a great CPU for the price. Two things though.....it is actually an Athlon processor with a great publicist (has Propus core making it a very close relative of the Athlon II 650....not the rest of the phen II clan). The other thing is....No L3 cache. It shows a bit, but not enough to make it important, unless you are a hard core gamer. (L3's main function is to cut down on bottlenecks/delays between ram and cpu. The idea is that the L1 cache is smaller and has quick instruction sets ready to guide the execution of cpu requests to the ram. It leaves a frame of the request open at the edge of the cpu, empty. When the data (datum)gets there from the ram it slides it into the frame and is directed to the target in the core (or executed). These instruction sets build the frame. If the CPU can't find the instructions in L1 it looks to the slightly larger, slightly slower L2......and then for larger more complex instruction sets it looks to the........whoops, no L3 present. What is also notable here is that in many cases the L3 is shared by multi cores. This allows for a more cohesive movement of larger pieces of data that can be broken down and sent through multiple paths...then reassembled)
However, for the price this is one hell of a cpu. Strongly recommend.
{There is a lot more to the whole cache deal. The thing is...when there is a cache 'miss', or the address/index/tag cache line cannot be found to read/write/overwrite into (what I loosely referred to as 'the frame') latency occurs, and it doesn't matter if it is a data set or instruction set. With the speeds of the newer cores....cache is extremely important as it has to be much faster than the ram to keep up with the core. The path, or pipeline that goes through/is partially constructed by the cache reliably IS the performance of your computer. As payloads and the index/tag sequencing of them become more complex L3 becomes that much more important.....it's kinda funny because we didn't even use it 10 yrs ago. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is a great CPU for something that will run very well...now.} - Budget - Cpu Processors - Quad Core - Cpu'
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