| Rating | Where to buy |
 | Amazon.com *Same or similar item |
AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE features 45nm technology for maximum performance. Based on the official specifications, it is one of the most powerful and fastest CPUs on the market. This 140 watts CPU utilizes improved electrical and thermal stability.
What’s in the box
AMD Phenom II X4 965 comes in a nice little box that has a little window in the bottom so you can see the processor before actually buying it. The box contains a big installation guide, a 60ml fan with a four-way heat pipe cooler, and the processor. On the top of the book, there’s a serial number in case you need to do any sort of warranty claim. You will get an AMD sticker by unfolding the guide.
Overview
Phenom II X4 965 has a total of 8 MB (L2+L3) cache, and 512 L1 caches. Its memory controller is 128-bit wide; however, it can be configured for two 64-bit channels for simultaneous read and write. This processor features up to 21.3 Gigabyte per second memory bandwidth. It is compatible with 1800 DDR3 RAM.
Performance
AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE has performed impressively during all our tests. We have tried to test it with the configuration listed in the Building Custom Gaming Desktop post. It enables copying and moving files impressively fast. It reduced starting and closing time for different programs. High-end games such as Crysis 2, Mass Effect 3, and Torchlight 2 ran smoothly in full details at 1920×1080 resolution.
We tested the same games on a Core i5 PC with the same graphics card. The AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE produced a frame rate of 45 to 75 while the Core i5 produced 35 to 65 frames per second. While on Core i5, we experienced hanging several times while using multiple application at once; AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE performed without a single instance of failure or halting.
And at all time the CPU temperature remained below 60-degree centigrade. The CPU fan was quiet the whole time.
| Pros | Cons |
| AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE is fast enough to handle multi-tasking and high-end gaming easily. Improved thermal and electrical stability. | Consumes more power and generates more heat despite improved thermal stability. |
Conclusion
AMD processors are significantly cheaper than equivalent Intel processors, yet they offer equal and sometimes better performance than its Intel counterpart. AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE is proof of that. Phenom II X4 965 is a highly effective multi-tasking processor that is able to take anything you may throw at it.
Specification
L1 Cache Sizes: 512KB
L2 Cache Sizes: 2MB total
L3 Cache Size (shared): 6MB
Total Cache (L2+L3): 8MB
Memory Controller Type: Integrated 128-bit wide memory controller
Memory Controller Frequency: Up to 2.0GHz with Dual Dynamic Power Management
HyperTransport 3.0: One 16-bit/16-bit link @ up to 4000MHz full duplex
Total Processor Bandwidth: Up to 37.3 GB/s bandwidth
Process Technology: 45nm
Approximate Transistor count: approx. 758 million (65nm)
Nominal Voltage: .0825-1.5 Volts
Max TDP: 140 Watts