I was thinking of upgrading from my HP a800n desktop and was reading about the AMD Phenom quad core's, I would like to have some feedback from any owners. Are they worth the cost?
Phenoms are fast processors. But most people are disappointed with their performance. The reason why Phenoms don't seem nearly as fast as their Intel counterparts is because the Phenoms aren't being used to their full potential. You need a Socket AM2+ mobo, the Phenom will run on a standard AM2 mobo but wont run as fast as it should.
Don't mistakenly think that by simply upgrading the processor your computer will run 5 times faster -- the rest of your hardware needs to match up. If you do not hava a Socket AM2+ motherboard (namely one that's specifically designed for a Phenom) you most likely WILL be disappointed with the Phenom's performance. But if you have the right mobo and performance-matched hardware then the Phenom will be worth it. ($220 at tigerdirect.com for the Phenom 9500, http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3476410&CatId=3496, check out the product reviews as well).
Again if you are trying to build the fastest computer in the world go with an Intel Core 2 Extreme, AMD doesnt have a processor that competes with it. Phenoms are fast but not the fastest.
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