AMD Phenom 9600 Black Edition – Luck of the Draw

Conclusion

It is really hard to figure out what to say to end this article. Most people will probably buy this CPU thinking that it will be an overclocking beast, and that they are guaranteed to get 3.0GHz out of it. If that is what you are thinking, you will be sorely displeased. Think about it, if 3.0GHz was automatic, why have we not seen any speed bumps for the Phenom actually released yet? Truth be told, AMD is having a hard time with these parts. The TLB problems have not helped, and being so sensitive to the higher bus speeds is certainly a hindrance to any serious overclocker. When it comes down to it, you should consider yourself lucky any time you get anything extra out of a CPU, and you can take that statement to the 10th degree for Phenom.

With a new revision on the horizon, we can only hope that we will see Phenom be able to take off an spread its wings and become a true contender. A strong and competing AMD is a good thing for the consumer, and especially the enthusiast.

Legit Bottom Line: We had high hopes for this CPU, but it really let us down. You can buy one, and you MAY get a better chip than we did… but then again, you may not!