AMD Phenom II X2 560 Black Pro Reviews

If overclocking doesn’t interest you, then this is a great dual-core chip to base a budget PC around.

The Phenom II X2 560 is a rather unnecessary addition to AMD's CPU lineup, lacking the multithreaded performance of chips with more cores or any extra overclocking headroom.

AMD's HDZ560WFK2DGM retail kit is being released with an MSRP of $105, which means the Phenom-II X2-560BE is priced at the low end of the processor segment. Still, it is slightly higher than previous releases of Phenom-II X2 processors. Enthusiasts will enjoy the Phenom-II X2-560BE for its unlocked multiplier, L3 cache and two disabled cores. At the same time, the Phenom-II X2-560BE struggled to keep up with the Athlonm-II X3-445 which comes in at only $87. The trade-off comes in what you are planning to do with the processor. If you want to experiment with overclocking or unlocking, or if you need it for single-core applications, the Phenom-II X2-560BE is great. Otherwise, you might want to consider an Athlon-II X3 or X4, which provides better performance for a similar price.

If you don’t run high-end content-creation apps and are looking for a speedy CPU for everyday computing, the Phenom II X2 560 is a good choice. Just don’t tax it with more than two tasks at once.