Although AMD's Deneb core is by now tuned to perfection, its blade had became dull over time, and looking back, AMD has relied on its Deneb core for quite some time now. Introduction of a faster SKU than 3.50 GHz Phenom II X4, based on old Deneb core makes little sense when you look at it from a buyers' viewpoint. Yes it's fast, but in this price segment it has far too little or outdated features to make it more interesting to buy over, say a six core Phenom II X6 with Turbo Core feature, or Intel's Core i5/i7 models which are a bit more expensive but have better power consumption/performance ratio and awesome Turbo Boost feature which makes them the perfect choice for gamers or users still working in less threaded environments.

Introduction of Phenom II X4 975 BE is more of a sting towards Intel rather than fatal strike, attempt to ruin their day, or rather Sandy Bridge introduction day. But Phenom II X4 is in a whole different category, forced by Intel it has been downgraded to a mainstream brand, best value for money. It lacks the marketing power to stand up to Intel's brand new architecture, and it lacks the raw power and features to come close to Sandy Bridge in any way. Nevertheless, Phenom II X4 975 is here and it is certain many buyers will make the most of it. It's still a great performer in its class, and offers great value for the money.