AMD Phenom II X3 710 Review :: AMD Phenom II X3 710 Features

• 2.6GHz clock speed
• 1.5MB L2 Cache
• 6MB L3 Cache
• Socket AM3 packaging
• 95W TDP
• 45nm SOI technology
• DDR3-1333/1066MHz supported on AM2+ boards
• DDR2 1066/800/667/533/400MHz unbuffered on AM3 boards
• Up to 17.GB/second dual channel memory bandwidth AM2+
• Up to 21GB/second dual channel memory bandwidth AM3
• Total processor to system bandwidth (HyperTransport+memory) 33.1GB/second AM2+, 37GB/second AM3
• Process technology 45nm SOI (Silicon On Insulator)
• Fab 36 Dresden Germany
• Packaging AM3 (938-pin) organic micro PGA
• Die Size 285mm2

Phenom II X3 710 Front

AMD's Phenom II CPUs are their first 45 nanometer processors on the market. AMD has manufactured processors on the 65nm process for the last couple of years. The Phenom II processors are made at AMD's Fab 36 in Dresden Germany. With the spin-off of their manufacturing operation Fab 36 has become Fab 1 of the new Global Foundries Company.

The Phenom II processor has 758 million transistors, which is nearly double that of the Phenom processors of last year. The 710 is a triple core processor, which means it has three physical cores on the same die. There is 128KB of L1 cache per processor, 1.5MB of L2 cache (512KB per core) and a unified L3 cache of 6MB.

Phenom II X3 710 rear

The main differences between the AM2+ and the AM3 CPUs are in the memory support. AM3 CPUs support DDR3 memory up to DDR3-1333MHz natively in dual core mode. AM3 memory bandwidth is 21.2GB/second with dual channel mode. Combined with HT 3.0, this gives a maximum bandwidth between the processor and the system of 37GB/second.

AMD has changed the packaging of the AM3 CPU from the AM2+ CPU they used in the past. There are two fewer pins on the AM3 package, making AM2+ CPUs incompatible with AM3 motherboards, but AM3 CPUs will work on AM2+ motherboards, assuming the BIOS has been updated to support the new CPUs. The memory controller on the AMD platform is on the CPU meaning that the AM3 Phenom II X3 710 supports DDR2 memory on an AM2 board and DDR3 memory on an AM3 board.

AMD names their Phenom II processors in a different way than the previous 9xxx, 8xxx and 7xxx series. The X stands for the number of cores present on the CPU. For example the X3 stands for 3 cores. Processors with 3 cores have a 7 as the first digit. Processors with 4 cores either have an 8 or 9 as the first digit depending on the L3 cache. The faster the processors speed, the higher the subsequent digits.

The die process shrink to 45 nanometers has shown an immediate improvement in power consumption and processor speed. The first generation Phenom processors required 140W TDP and had a clock speed limit of 2.6GHz (9950 Black Edition.) The new Phenom IIs have a upper clock speed limit of 3.0GHz on the Phenom II X4 940 and the 710 is clocked at 2.6GHz. AMD has announced 8 Phenom II processors so far but have released 5 of them including 2 AM2+ and 3 AM3 CPUs. Here's a chart of the available Phenom IIs on the market in the near future or today and their price: