AMD Phenom II X2 550 3.1GHz Socket AM3

Like the superheroes of old, the AMD Phenom II streaks out of the night to lay waste to your enemies with 3.1GHz dual cores, each of which has L1 and L2 caches. An additional 6MB of L3 cache is available to handle really heavy loads or large data sets.

Memory transfers get faster than ever. HyperTransport Generation 3.0 mode allows up to 16.0GB/s of bandwidth. Up to 17.1GB/s memory bandwidth for DDR2 delivers an amazing 37GB/s of processor-to-system bandwidth. This unprecedented bandwidth is needed to feed the data hungry AMD64 with Direct Connect Architecture cores.

You'd think that all of this power would be too hot to handle. Think again. AMD's Cool'n'Quiet 3.0 technology works with CoolCore Technology to minimize heat while keeping power and efficiency up. Now the cores can shut down unused parts of the processor when not in use. This saves power and helps to reduce the amount of heat generated. This function is built in so there's no need for drivers or BIOS updates.

• AMD64 Dual-core Technology AMD64 is designed to enable simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing with no degradation in performance. With Dual-Core technology, two complete processor cores on a single die run at the same frequency to deliver exceptional multi-tasking power, allowing users to surge through the most demanding processing loads, including advanced multitasking, critical business productivity, complicated visual design and modeling, serious gaming, and visually stunning digital media and entertainment.
• Integrated DDR2 and DDR3 DRAM Memory Controller The AMD Phenom II X2 Dual-Core processor is integrated with DDR2 and DDR3 DRAM memory controller capable of supporting registered and ECC DRAM. The integrated memory controller changes the way the processor accesses main memory, resulting in increased bandwidth, reduced memory latencies, and enhanced processor performance.
• HyperTransport 3.0 Technology HyperTransport Technology (HT or HTT) is a high-speed, low latency, point-to-point link designed to increase communication speeds between integrated circuits in computers, servers, embedded systems, and networking and telecommunications equipment. With HT 3.0 technology the AMD Phenom II X2 Dual-Core processor enjoys 4000MHz system bus speeds.
• AMD Cool'n'Quiet 3.0 Technology AMD's Cool'n'Quiet 3.0 technology is an enhanced solution available on AMD Phenom II X2 processor-based systems that can effectively lower power consumption and enable a quieter-running system while delivering performance-on-demand.
• AMD Virtualization Virtualization on desktop computers allows a single PC to act like multiple virtual machines. AMD Virtualization can enable client computers to seamlessly support multiple operating environments. And it also helps make it easier for PC enthusiasts to upgrade and maintain their PCs through emulation.
• AMD CoolCore Technology AMD CoolCore Technology reduces processor energy consumption by turning off unused parts of the processor. Power can be switched on or off within a single clock cycle so that energy is saved without compromising performance.