Thread: AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE

MD'S Phenom II range of 45 nm processors took off with the launch of high-end quad-core processors followed by the midrange tri-core models.

The latest addition to the Phenom II family will interest those who want to upgrade from an older socket AM2+ processor or build a mainstream PC. Clocked at 3.1 GHz, the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition is a dual-core CPU with 6 MB shared L3 cache. Like the tri-core Phenom II models, this features a quad-core die with disabled cores. It also features the unlocked multiplier, which allows you to overclock this CPU without tinkering with bus speed and memory settings. The closest competitor to the X2 550 is the 2.80 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 and the Core 2 Duo E8200 that costs Rs. 2,000 more. So here you get an attractively priced dual-core CPU that's optimized for virtualization.

Fit this on an AM2+ motherboard, add 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HOD and a decent graphics card and you'll have a gaming PC, or combine it with a high-end socket AM3 motherboard and DDR3 memory to build a gaming PC with multi-GPU support. If you're using an older AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor on a socket AM2+ motherboard, the Phenom II X2 550 will give a 50 percent performance boost without you upgrading your motherboard and RAM.