Introduced in February 2009, the Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition is a triple core processor from AMD that operates at a speed of 2.8Ghz. A step up from the Phenom II X3 710 - which features a 200MHz reduced clockspeed and a locked CPU multiplier which limits overclocking - the X3 720 is, like its less advanced brother, a full 4-core component with one core disabled (most likely due to a manufacturing defect which left it unable to function as a higher end quad-core). Ideal for individuals who are interested in building a powerful budget PC which can be retrofitted in the future, or for those interested in upgrading their current AM2+/DDR2 rigs, the Phenom II X3 is built on AMDs latest 45nm fabrication process. This allows for higher stock clockspeeds and lower power consumption compared to similar pre-existing Phenom parts based on the earlier 65nm process.
