Introduction

While AMD does not currently have the fastest processors on the block, their offerings have always proven to be excellent value purchases over the years.  They have been much more accommodating  when it comes to upgrades, allowing backwards compatibility between their latest AM3 processors and older AM2+ motherboards.  AMD was also responsible for bringing quad-core to the masses with their Athlon II processors, which come at a sub $100 USD price point, a value unmatched by their rival Intel.  They also offer unlocked "Black Edition" processors for enthusiasts who want to squeeze out more performance from their systems via overclocking.

AMD's Black Edition processors have unlocked multipliers and voltages.  This means that enthusiasts who want to overclock can simply adjust those values to increase performance without touching the HT reference clock.  Just like enthusiasts, AMD felt that more performance can be gained by improving the process used to fabricate these chips.  The "c3" refresh of the Phenom II processors was the result and the Phenom II X4 970 is the latest quad-core processor from this lineup.

The Phenom II X4 970 comes at a default clock speed of 3.5GHz using a 17.5 multiplier.  Aside from this 100 MHz bump in performance over the X4 965, the Phenom II X4 970 has improved TDP, memory handling and power management features.  Between the price, backwards compatibility and improved performance, the Phenom II X4 970 is a quad-core powerhouse unmatched in its value.