New AMD Phenom II CPUs (Socket AM3)

For the X3, running at the same frequency as the X4 920, it was the opposite story: 2D Graphics was its weakest suit, with a score of 1.78, while in every other test the chip equalled or bettered its quad-core counterpart.

What's more, AMD promises that, like current AM2+ X4s, the new models will have considerable headroom for overclocking.

In our tests with the Phenom II X4 940 we were able to increase performance by around 20% using stock cooling, suggesting the Phenom II range will have much to offer enthusiasts.

UK prices for the new CPUs are still to be confirmed, but US retail prices are expected to be around $145 for the X3 720 and $175 for the X4 810. While AMD still has nothing to compete with the Core i7, aggressive pricing should make them convincing challengers for Intel's mid-range and upper-range Core 2 processors.

Author: Darien Graham-Smith