Final Thoughts

AMD's Phenom processor range is by no means a huge leap forward for the company; certainly not like they were hoping it would be. While it does add a few new features, its architecture is still based directly on the K8 with a few tweaks. This is what brought Intel down trying to salvage Netburst and we saw what happened there. AMD is following a similar path; K8 has run its course and it's now time to put it to bed, fellows.

On the upside, Phenom does give end users the option of having a multi-tasking environment without having to spend a fortune. AMD's top Phenom X4 processor comes in very cheap, making it an attractive option for a mainstream PC. And it even allows for a cheaper SLI setup than an Intel based system. Though, if you're going for SLI, you're seeking power and performance. This is where Intel comes into play.

The Phenom 9350e really left us wondering why it's around. If its intention is to replace the 4850e processor, why was that one even brought into the market? Considering the price of the 9350e compared to the 8750 X3, I know which one I would rather have and that's the higher clocked X3 processor which is able to do more gaming than the 9350e.