AMD Phenom II X2 555 Pro Reviews

The Phenom II X2 555 is a good CPU depending on how you look at it. In one aspect you have the high chance of being able to unlock it into a quad core which makes this chip a true bargain. However not every single chip will unlock. Just because this chip happens to have a great chance doesn't mean it will, so you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket on this one. The chip itself overclocks great, so if your planning on overclocking, this might be a better deal than an Athlon II chip. The Athlon 2 chips do overclock pretty well, but a BE will always be able to go higher because of the unlocked multiplier. The quad core Athlon II chips are in the price range of the X2 555, so its really a choice you will have to make. If you are not ever going to overclock, the Athlon II is the obvious winner, but if you plan on doing some overclocking you really have to give the 555 a serious look.

The Phenom II X2 555 BE is without a doubt also an awesome buy at $99 (replacing the 550 BE at that price point). Many enthusiasts and gamers have raved about their 550 BE's, now they can get something a little faster and guaranteed C3 stepping for the same price. For a little more dough, it's so tempting to step up to the X3 720 BE and get that extra CPU core, but really it all boils down to what your budget it. The performance of the X2 555 BE is more than sufficient for any typical gamer (especially when overclocked), and instead of spending more on a CPU that money can be better spent upgrading the video card.

The AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition processor is a good way to turn an aging AM2+ Athlon system into a decent gaming rig, and from there eventually upgraded to an AM3 motherboard. The great overclocking potential only sweetens the deal!

Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition is simple to overclock to 3.8GHz and we suspect that 4.0GHz is within reach with a bit of work. The performance of Phenom II is slightly better than Athlon II, however the price is rather steep for a dual core processor. In many respects this makes Phenom II a premium dual core CPU and by contrast the 2.9GHz quad core Phenom II X4 635 looks very tempting at £99.

For the Phenom II X2 555 BE, the fastest dual-core processor in AMD's lineup, its proposition is straight-forward. Those looking for a decent budget productivity and gaming rig will find the high clock speed a boon while two cores coupled with a competent graphics card should be sufficient for most games. Its value becomes more debatable once we enter the multi-core territory like video transcoding or 3D rendering.

Of course, let's not forget the Phenom II X2 555, a processor with better gaming and application performance at its default clock rate that can be easily overclocked through multiplier-based overclocking. More advanced users can even try their luck and see if this CPU has usable dormant CPU cores, transforming this processor into the equivalent of a quad-core Phenom II X4 955.

Budget-conscious gamers or general PC users who don’t edit video or use Adobe apps will find the Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition a fine, speedy performer for the price.

AMD's latest variation on the Phenom gives the Core i3 a run for its money