Digital Home Thoughts: Fastest Phenom CPU Yet: AMD Launches Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition

"AMD faithful and bargain hunters alike have a pair of new toys to play with starting today, as AMD launches two new processors for its socket AM3 platform, the Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition and 945. Both parts boast compatibility with AM2+ (DDR2) and AM3 (DDR3) motherboards, while the Phenom II X4 955 BE supplants the AM2-based 940 as AMD's new flagship entry in its Phenom line. Coinciding with the launch, AMD has also overhauled its Dragon Platform Technology, saying "every aspect of the platform has been improved and the overall value is impressive." And we'd have to agree, considering both new chips are being priced below $250."

Things have been bumpy for AMD lately, but they're still in the game, and with the release of the 3.2 Ghz unlocked (meaning easily overclockable) Black Edition CPU at a street price of $245 USD, they're proving they've still got some fight left in them. This chip doesn't measure up to the Intel Core i7 mind you, but in this craptastic world economy, AMD seems to have the right idea: performance matters, but so does the cost of the parts.