Best Budget AM3 Phenom II CPU

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GroovyGrimm

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I have a Biostar TA790GXB3 that i got from a bundle buy with other components and id like to know what would be the best budget cpu to get for it. It currently has an athlon II x2 245 overclocked to 3.7GHZ on the stock cooler.

I'd also like to know what would be the best cheap ram upgrade from the measly 2GB i have in it. Maybe a 8GB kit or a 4GB stick for now?
 
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clutchc
You have the Athlon II OC'ed to 3.7 GHz on the stock cooler?! Geez. Really? I'll assume it isn't stable nor keeping the core temps between 55°C - 74°C.

This is the CPU support list for that board (assuming you have a rev 6.x): http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en-us/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=428#cpu
The fastest processors would obviously be the Phenom II x4 9xx.
If you just want any old CPU that is faster than your Athlon II x2, here is a rough CPU hierarchy chart: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html
They are all obsolete and would have to be purchased used someplace like ebay.

Any DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600(OC) MHz memory should work. Always buy memory in MATCHED pairs.
Here's the cheapest 2x2GB...
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clutchc

clutchc

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You have the Athlon II OC'ed to 3.7 GHz on the stock cooler?! Geez. Really? I'll assume it isn't stable nor keeping the core temps between 55°C - 74°C.

This is the CPU support list for that board (assuming you have a rev 6.x): http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en-us/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=428#cpu
The fastest processors would obviously be the Phenom II x4 9xx.
If you just want any old CPU that is faster than your Athlon II x2, here is a rough CPU hierarchy chart: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html
They are all obsolete and would have to be purchased used someplace like ebay.

Any DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600(OC) MHz memory should work. Always buy memory in MATCHED pairs.
Here's the cheapest 2x2GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231394
Here'sthe cheapest 2x4GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820101078
 
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GroovyGrimm

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Well it did crash and i put it to 3.5GHZ then ran OCCT for like 30 minutes and it ran at max 60 degrees. I also believe that some x3 phenoms can be unlocked? would that be a good idea to gamble for a x3 and see if the chip is unlock-able?

Also will the phenom setup with the ram at lets say 1333MHZ be an upgrade from my current set-up which is a Q6600 and 8GB of DDR2 667mhz ram?
 
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GroovyGrimm

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That ik but i was just asking to see if maybe i could get one for a bit less and if it would be worth it to get it even if the locked core didnt work.
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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I think all Phenom II X3 processors have a 4th core that is disabled. They are all Denebs to the best of my knowledge. I've had 2 x PhII X3s and both were stable with the 4th core unlocked. But like all Phenom II X3 and X4s, they are getting scarce. I was lucky enough to find a new-in-box 965BE for a good price a couple years ago on ebay. I've had no problem running at 4GHz with nothing more than the multi and a tiny bump in vcore.
 
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GroovyGrimm

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Weird request but have you got any extras you could send me?
 
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clutchc

clutchc

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Lol... sorry, no. I don't have the PHenom II X3s any more, and I want to keep my Athlon II X4 645 and Phenom II X4 965BE. I have a like new Phenom X3 8650 I'm willing to sell, but it needs a AM2+ socket and is slower than your Athlon II X2.
XPgj4GE.jpg
 
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