System Buyers' Guide: $700 to $1700

AMD Performance Midrange

With Phenom II, an apology is no longer needed when putting together an AMD performance midrange system. While the Phenom was an honest competitor at the price points where AMD chose to compete, the poor overclocking of the AMD Phenom compared to Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad processors was always a nagging reality. Phenom II changes all that, and AMD in 45nm clothes is once again a screaming overclocker. We have reached 3.9-4.0GHz in internal Phenom II testing, which places the Phenom II squarely into Intel Core 2 overclocking territory. The days when AMD meant lots of overclocking headroom have finally returned - at least through the midrange CPUs.

The Phenom II 955 Black Edition at 3.2GHz x4 is the fastest of the currently shipping AMD Phenom II processors. Recently the Phenom II 955BE has been frequently on sale, as it is right now for just $199.95. That is a great price on the flagship Phenom II and it brings tremendous value to the AMD performance midrange system. The Phenom II is very similar in L2/L3 cache configuration to the Intel Core i7, but i7 is clearly the better performer and the fact it sells for more reflects that reality.

We've paired the Phenom II 940 with the MSI 790FX-GD70 motherboard based on the 790FX chipset. While the 790FX is an older chipset than the 790X and 790GX, it still provides features like true dual x16 PCIe slots that are not available in the newer chipsets. Internal testing also shows performance is slightly better with the FX chipset than the newer chipsets, making this board an ideal match to the top 955BE Phenom II.

Since the MSI supports dual-channel DDR3, the motherboard was populated with a 4GB kit of OCZ Platinum AMD Edition. This low-voltage memory is rated at 7-7-7 timings and DDR3-1600 at just 1.65V. It performs well at faster timings and lower voltages at slower speeds. Whether you use it as a stock DDR3 memory or overclock it to its limits, this OCZ memory should provide the headroom you need to bring out the best in this system.

The Phenom II is not the hot CPU you find in the Core i7, but it still benefits from third party cooling - particularly if you plan to overclock. We paired the Phenom II 955BE with the Xigmatek S1283 120mm Rifle that performed well in the lab. At $27 after a $10 rebate, the Xigmatek is also an excellent cooling value. It is the same cooler recommended for the AMD value system.

Other components in the AMD performance midrange system are the same used in the Intel performance midrange. You can find descriptions and thumbnail images of those common components on the next page.

Finally, you should notice that the AMD performance system, using the current top Phenom II and DDR3 memory, is around $150 cheaper than the Intel Core i7 performance midrange system. The reason for this is very simple, namely the Core i7 is a better performing system that is priced accordingly. It just means AMD and Intel are competitively priced these days and the comparative costs of an Intel or AMD CPU is now a good indicator of the relative performance. There are always exceptions to a broad statement like this, but generally pricing and performance are fairly gauged in today's market.