The Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition is fun to screw around with, and for $102 it’ll make a nice processor for some gaming boxes. The Athlon II X2 250, alternatively, will only cost $87, which makes it a deal for budget systems. It’s not a powerhouse but it’s capable enough. This is the kind of chip I’d give my email-checking, Solitaire-playing, YouTube-watching relatives.

Ultimately we were impressed with how cool both processors ran, even when we put the hurt on with a little bit of overclocking. While these chips won’t perform any miracles, our tests today have proven that they do have a few surprises on tap that make them perfect for their market position.

http://icrontic.com/articles/phenom-...hlon-ii-x2-250
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=784
http://www.techspot.com/review/171-a...omx2-athlonx2/
http://www.amdzone.com/index.php/rev...hlon-ii-x2-250
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Ha...views/aii_250/
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.ph...10&Item id=63
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Ha...eviews/pii550/
http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi...2x2_athlon2x2/
http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/r..._X2_550_1.html
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1596
http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/CPU/...k-Edition.html