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AMD recently launched its first desktop quad-core processor, Phenom. The company has been keen to stress that Phenom is the first 'true' quad-core design on the market, as Intel's Core 2 Quad processors are essentially two dual-core processors in a single package. It uses a third level of memory cache, called L3, which all four cores can access. This makes the Phenom more flexible than an Intel Core 2 Quad, which uses two separate caches for each pair of cores. In addition, each core has a separate 512KB L2 cache and 128KB L1 cache.

Although Phenom is compatible with AM2 motherboards, check with

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your motherboard manufacturer to make sure. You are going to need an AM2+ motherboard to get the best from these processors, though. These will use HyperTransport 3, which is the link between the processor and other system components. This runs at 2.6GHz, whereas older boards run at 1.4GHz.

Despite this fast link, the processor's external bus speed is still 200MHz, so high multipliers are required to achieve respectable clock speeds. These first Phenom processors run at either 2.2GHz or 2.3GHz, slower than any of the current Intel Core 2 Quad range. This means these early Phenoms aren't in direct competition with Intel's fastest quad-core processors, but instead offer a budget alternative.

Despite being AMD's latest processor, the Phenom is manufactured using a 65nm process, so it's unlikely to be as power efficient as Intel's latest 45nm processors. This also means that the processors will get hotter, which can limit clock speeds when overclocking.

The Phenom 9500 and 9600 are essentially identical, except for the 9600's slightly higher clock speed. However, this doesn't justify its higher price. The 9600 Black Edition has an unlocked multiplier, which gives additional flexibility when overclocking. If you're looking to upgrade an AM2-based PC to quad-core, the Phenom 9500 is the best choice. Those building a new quad-core PC would be better off buying an Intel processor and motherboard.