AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition Socket AM3 Triple Core Processor Review

Author: Frank Stroupe
Pages:

1. Introduction
2. A Closer Look
3. Installation & Overclocking
4. Testing
5. Testing - Futuremark & Photoshop
6. Testing - Gaming
7. Conclusions

Back in April, I reviewed the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition. It was definitely an improvement over the earlier Phenom, both in architecture and performance and I was very impressed with it. The only thing I felt the early Phenom II missed was the capability of running DDR3 memory.

About the time I was reviewing the X4 940, AMD was releasing two new Phenoms, the Phenom II X4 810 and the Phenom II X3 720. Called by many the “real” Phenom II, these two processors finally brought DDR3 capabilities to the Phenom line, with a memory controller capable of running either DDR2 or DDR3. These two processors also bring a new platform to AMD’s stable, Socket AM3.

Today I will be looking at my first triple core processor, the AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition. It has been around about six months now, and the price has dropped a fair amount, making this CPU a definite consideration for an economy rig. With some careful shopping, using this processor and the motherboard I will be using for this review, you could easily build a rig less peripherals and operating system for under $600. Read on to check out the Phenom II X3 720!

Specifications:

Series: AMD Phenom II X3
Model: 720
Part Number: HDZ720WFGIBOX
Revision: C2
Socket: AM3
Manufacturing Process: 45nm SOI
Core Speed: 2.8gHz
Vcore: 0.850-1.425V
Hypertransports: 4000mHz
Wattage: 95 W
Maximum Casing Temperature: 73C
Memory Controller Speed: Up to 2.0gHz with Dual Dynamic Power Management
Supported Memory: Dual Channel DDR2-1066/Dual Channel DDR3-1333
L1 Cache: 128KB + 128KB + 128KB
L2 Cache: 512KB + 512KB + 512KB
L3 Cache: 6MB
SIMD Instructions: MMX(+), 3DNow! (+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4A

Packaging

The Phenom X3 720 comes in the familiar black box that AMD processors have been packaged in for a while. Not a lot of information other than the most basic stuff.

Inside, the CPU is in a small blisterpack and backed with foam, like all AMD and Intel CPUs. The blisterpack and CPU cooler are each in their own cardboard box.