14 DAY TRIAL // The more or less surprising launch of AMD's latest quad-core Phenom II 965 processor seems to have brought forward a number of price adjustments for the chip maker's line of desktop chips, with modifications being made to both the Phenom II and Athlon II series. According to the company's official processor pricing page, the previous flagship Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition is now a bit more affordable, which is likely to make it more appealing to computer enthusiasts looking to upgrade their systems to one of AMD's latest solutions.
The aforementioned Phenom II 955 BE is now selling for US$199.99, at Newegg, which is US$45 cheaper than the US$245 price tag on AMD's list. This CPU model is basically the same as the newly released PII X4 956 BE, except for the fact that it comes with a clock speed of 3.2GHz, compared to 3.4GHz, and a TDP of 125W, versus the 140W on the PII X4 965. Designed for AM3-socket platforms, the processor is a nice choice for users looking for an affordable alternative to AMD's highest-performance desktop CPUs.
The same goes for the company's Phenom II X4 945, which sells for US$169.99, although it's listed at US$225 on AMD's website. The PII X3 720 BE and the PII X2 550 sell for US$119 and US$102.99, respectively. These price changes should draw some attention from users looking to improve their system's performance with one of the chip maker's latest solutions.
The Phenom II lineup isn't the company's only line of processors that have received a price cut. According to the firingsquad, the Athlon II 250, listed on AMD's website for US$87, is now available at Newegg for US$76, making it a noteworthy alternative for users looking to built a new entry-level desktop PC.