Product ReviewsAMD Phenom II X4 965 965 - 3.4GHz Quad-Core (HDZ965FBK4DGM) Processor

The AMD Phenom II Quad Core will eliminate the strain having more than one window open.

When I decided to upgrade a 15 year desktop computer, I decided on the two most fundamental and important aspect - RAM & CPU. Following the RAM upgrade I also needed a good reliable CPU. I found it.

The AMD Phenom II X4 965 will cause your upgrade to run at optimal level and beyond, all this without the need to overclock. It's as if the computer was crying out for something to eat.. Seriously, this is as good as it gets. If your looking for a good solid upgrade for an old desktop without the headache and expense trying to compete with modern CPU's such as the Intel's i5 or i7's or AMD's latest and greatest, spend a little and get a lot in return. Your upgrade will last another 10 years.

In addition to the con's, can't really say anything negative because there isn't any. Just be careful to insert in the proper way and more importantly DON'T bend the pins. O and by the way use the most reliable company in terms of value for money and reliability - yes you guessed it - eBay.

Really pleased!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: enigma_curiosities

A good upgrade for those with an old 2-core AMD, but not for a new build.

I bought a 965 for a benchmarking project I'm working on, comparing
a wide range of CPUs/GPUs, using a number of mbds in order to test
all four main possile CPU/gfx combos, ie. Intel/ATI, Intel/NVIDIA,
AMD/ATI and AMD/NVIDIA. I have a number of AMD CPUs to test, from
a basic 6000+ up to this 965 BE; others include an Athlon II X4 635
2.9GHz, Athlon X2 7750 2.7GHz, Athlon II X2 250 3GHz and an Athlon
II X2 240e.

I've not yet done extensive tests, but so far I have to say it doesn't
appear to be that much faster than the Athlon II X4, though atm I only
have the 965 on a simple ASUS M3N78 SE with a gfx card that's too slow
(4670) to reveal GPU bottlenecks that can be helped by CPU power, so
results not totally conclusive yet (except for the CPU tests which were
indeed not that much better so far compared to the Athlon II X4; can't
be 100% sure until using the same board with identical RAM though). I
have to try both CPUs on a better board (got an ASUS M3N-HT Deluxe for
this, on which I can run 1 or 2 GTX 460s) and I also need to run tests
with the CPUs set to the same clock, like 4GHz or something. Hope to
do all this in October, lots of tests involved, very time consuming.

Would I recommend this CPU for someone with an AMD board? If you can
afford it, yes, but used prices are pretty high (it took many months
before I was able to win a 965 at a sensible price). An Athlon II X4
would cost a lot less and in most cases be just as good; use the
difference on a better cooler such as a TRUE RevC and decent fan.
For those tasks where one really would want the better speed, an Intel
chip makes more sense anyway, doubly so for a new build. As an upgrade
though, if you're running with an old AMD dual-core and can afford it,
then sure, the 965 is a nice boost, but do get a good HSF and oc the
sucker to get the most value out of it (at stock speed, the 965 is
hammered by numerous cheaper Intel options).

I can't include a link to my benchmark results for this and other
CPUs/etc., but just Google for, "ian pc benchmarks", it's the first
link that comes back (look for the link that says, "PC Benchmarks,
Advice and Information"). I'll probably start the main testing during
October.

Ian.Read full review...

A very worthwhile upgrade to an aging PC

The CPU arrived in a protective casing and I installed it into my aging PC in just a few minutes. The BIOS on my machine immediately recognised the change of CPU and prompted me to update some of the settings.

Just a note when you change your CPU, you need to power down the PC & remove the power cord, remove the BIOS battery, wait a few minutes and then switch the PC on WITHOUT THE POWER CONNECTED to ensure that no residual power exists. Then swap the CPU and replace the BIOS battery & power cord before switching on as normal. This needs to be done to force the BIOS into a full reset mode to ensure that it recognises all CPU cores.

My PC is now running so much faster that it did previously!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: beetlebaja

New lease of life into tired old computer

I got this to replace my old Athlon II X4 630 cpu as it was struggling to play an online game I play, achieving 20-50fps (mostly 20). Checked motherboard stats and this phenom CPU was towards the upper limit it would accept (the more powerful ones were 140TDP so I stayed clear of them). Installed this and what a difference, game FPS is now 60-110 and other stuff is noticeably quicker. Slightly overclocked it to 3.6Ghz, computer stable and temps still low since I already had a huge cooler in the computer. Impressed with the new lease of life this has given my computerRead full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: makimoo-uk

Performance improvement

This processor was bought as an upgade for my older PC. The price was reasonable and It was very simple to install. It made an immediate improvement to the performance. Very happy with it, thank you.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: pcpartden1

The Original Intel Destroyer The Phenom II 965 Black Edition

For a retro gaming PC this is THE cpu to go for, works on both AM2 and AM3 motherboards with both DDR2 and DDR3 RAM, with a half decent air cooler this will run at 4GHz fully stable, this CPU was beating the QX9650 by a fair margin also faster than most of the i5 and i7 processors of the day, just like today AMD are the fastest and cheapest.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: derekf323

Improved performance

The processor improved the performance of my old computer.

It crashed twice after installation, but I cannot be sure is the problem with CPU or something else.

Grand processor

Excellent processor. Doubled the speed of the desktop. Well pleased.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: anadi08

great product for the budget PC.

Great CPU, I managed to hit a 3.8ghz over-clock on this product using a cooler master Hyper 212 Evo and 4ghz with a hydro cooler after an upgrade.

The stock cooler is fine to use on its standard setting without over-clocking and will stay cool around 32-38 degrees.

Can't say much more because I haven't messed around with it too much but hope this helps you well.Read full review...

Good value and work’s well

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: suet58