AMD introduced the socket AM3+ line of processors, codenamed Bulldozer, in late 2011 - and then updated the line with a newer core called Piledriver in 1012. They represent an architectural jump in technology from previous AMD desktop processors, and while many older AM3 motherboards can house an AM3+ processor their full potential can only be realized on a matching AM3+ motherboard. These FX-9000 series processors use this same core design, but with its performance absolutely maxed-out. They are among the first processors to ever ship with clock speeds above 4GHz, but in order to reach these tremendous speeds they run at twice the thermal output of most other CPUs. This level of heat requires liquid-cooling, and AMD also recommends using 1000W or higher power supplies to handle the added electrical draw. All processors in this series are considered eight-core chips. It is worth noting that these 'cores' are a little different than older AMD designs, though: each pair of cores is called a 'module', and while the modules are capable of working on two threads at a time but share some resources. That means that depending on the sort of workload you have these chips may only function more similarly to quad-cores (particularly with floating-point calculations).
AMD introduced the socket AM3+ line of processors, codenamed Bulldozer, in late 2011. They represent an architectural jump in technology from previous AMD desktop processors, and while many older AM3 motherboards can house an AM3+ processor their full potential can only be realized on a matching AM3+ motherboard. At launch AMD offered up to eight-core processors for this socket. It is worth noting that these 'cores' are a little different than previous AMD designs, though: each pair of cores is called a 'module', and while the modules are capable of working on two threads at a time but share some resources. The previous notation of cores by a "X#" moniker is gone as well, and instead the first digit of the model number denotes how many cores a processor has. In 2012 an update to this platform was released, codenamed Piledriver. These processors can be recognized by the second digit in their model number: 1 for the older Bulldozer chips, 3 for the new Piledriver. The main improvements that AMD has focused on in this generation are higher clock speeds without increasing heat or power usage, and to an extent also increasing the number of instructions per clock. These combine to give a definite boost in performance compared to the previous series, without requiring a new socket or chipset.
Configure a custom computer with the AMD FX-9370 4.4GHz 220W.