For a lot of years now, AM3+ has been a very popular platform in the world of technology.
While many Ryzen processors have come within that period, the popularity of AM3+ CPUs hasn’t waned a bit because none of the newer processors have come close to it in terms of overall capabilities.
Therefore, we have made a list of the best AM3 + CPUs that are still on sale in 2019.
Best AM3+ CPU in 2019
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AMD Phenom II X4 840
With a price tag of about $41 only, the AMD Phenom II X4 840 is one of the least expensive quad-core CPUs you can find in the market. while it’s not totally a new one, it will give you good value for your investment.
The CPU has a 3.2GHz operating frequency, you can overclock it to 4.5GHz.
Apart from that, it comes with a cache and TDP of 2MB and 95W respectively. There is no doubt that this is one of the best CPUs of this era.
This is one of the most reasonable options if you’re in search of a cheap AM3 + CPU to replace your present CPU without compromising on quality.
These processors offer some decent performance, which although may be incapable of ousting modern processors when it comes to productivity or gaming performance, is still capable of providing some excellent performance. If you can find a good motherboard, graphic cards, and RAM to pair it with, the capabilities of this process are almost limitless.
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AMD FX 4-Core Black Edition FX-4300
The AMD FX 4-Core Black Edition FX-4300 is another cheap but functional AM3+ CPU on our list. Currently, only the costlier Intel Pentium G4560 and the Athlon X4 950 are capable of rivaling this one from AMD.
Performance-wise, this CPU is speedier than the Athlon X4 950 and only on par with Intel Pentium G4560. One of the best things about it is the fact that it utilizes DDR3, which is typically cheaper than than the DDR4 adopted by the G4560 and X4 950.
Moreover, most people’s RAMs and motherboards are already compatible with AM3, which allows them to save a bit.
And even if you don’t pre-won any RAM or motherboard, purchasing a new AM3 DDR3 RAM or socket motherboard will be less expensive than purchasing LGA 1151 or AM4 with a costly DDR4 RAM. Besides, this AM3 CPU also has 4 cores with 4 threads.
And featuring a base frequency of 3.8GHz which can be overclocked to 4.0GHz, you don’t ever need to worry about the performance of this CPU. Not only that, but it also has a 4MB L3 cashes, 4MB L2 and a TDP of 95W.
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AMD FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
Regardless of how hard you scour the market, you can never find a cheaper 6-core processor than this model. With a price tag of just a little more than $80, this CPU gives a lot of value for money.
For a lot of years, this CPU was the go-to option for budget builders when building things that support 6 cores.
It is capable of performing at an incredible level and even rival Intel i3 processor when it comes to productivity and gaming performance. It is, however, not as quick as i3 CPU, but it is a lot quicker than Pentium G4560, FX4300, and Athlon X4 950.
When pitted against each other, this CPU is very close to Ryzen 3 1200 in the performance front, being just about 10 to 15 percent slower than Ryzen.
This CPU is, however, a better option if you’re looking to save some costs as it needs a new motherboard and quicker DDR4 RAM, while the FX6300 costs a whole $30 less than Ryzen.
In general, this is a great processor that performs decently for its cost. It comes with 6 physical cores with six threads, and with a 3.5Ghz base frequency that can be overclocked to 4.1Ghz, you can’t bet against this processor. It also has a TDP of 95W like the FX4300.
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AMD FX-8350 8-Core Black Edition Processor
Being an 8-core CPU, it’s a bit doubtful if you will be able to find a better bargain than this model that costs only a bit more than $100. Featuring a base frequency of 4.0Ghz that can be overclocked up to 4.2 Ghz, this CPU can’t do no wrong.
Featuring 8 physical cores with 8 threads, 8MB L3 cache, and 8MB L2. However, it doesn’t perform as well as expected when it comes to gaming. It is a little slower than other CPUs in its category but that doesn’t make it a bad model. It makes up for the poor gaming performance with excellent productivity software performance.
Moreover, it also performs admirably at 3D design and video editing, since boasts features 8 cores and a high cache. Many builders loved this CPU as it is easy to overclock.
While it gets hot and consumes much more power when overclocked, this processor performs incredibly well. You only need to buy a decent cooler to tackle the overheating issue.
Generally, this CPU has a great balance of productivity and gaming performance, consumes power reasonably, and has an attractive cost.
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AMD Octa-core FX-9590 4.7GHz Desktop Black Edition
This is the last AM3+ CPU from AMD that has 8 physical cores with 8 threads. Being in the same price range as AMD Ryzen 3 1300X, this model offers 8 cores and higher clock specs.
While it doesn’t really perform spectacularly when it comes per core performance, it makes up for that with powerful 8 core performance. It also comes with a base frequency of 4.7 GHz, while it features a 5.0 GHz overclocked speed. And like the FX8350, this one also comes with 8MB L2 and L3 caches.
Although you’ll find two minor drawbacks – it features a 200W TDP and doesn’t come with any cooler. However, that takes nothing away from all it offers. It’s a decent 8 core processor for people who aren’t looking to overclock it.
Of course, it supports overclocking as well if you are bent on overclocking it. In fact, it can be overclocked to up to 5.5 to 6.0Ghz it is capable of handling extreme overclocking, which is a huge plus for gamers.
If you want excellent performance for only $130 without minding the power consumption, you might not do better than this CPU.
If you already own a AM3 + and only looking to upgrade your processor, it is also perfect since it performs best for this platform.
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AMD Phenom II X4 945 - Value for Money CPU
The timeless AMD Phenom II X4 945 just can’t seem to go away, thanks to the promise of the manufacturer to allow support for the production of AM3+.
Packing fully fledged four cores and four threads, anyone can still use the Phemom II X4 Series.
Going forward, the CPU comes with 6MB L3 cache, which is an excellent number of cache for rendering and multitasking. Besides, it has a base clock of 3GHz over all cores.
Fortunately, there are still new gaming motherboards that offer support for this CPU like MSI 970 Gaming, ASUS M5A78L-M Plus/USB3, and ASRock 970A-G/3.1
The DDR3 RAM support is very remarkable since it can save you a lot of money.
DDR4 RAMs are becoming increasingly expensive year after year, and this processor supporting the much affordable DDR3 is just great. Of course, this processor is sold in the United States and across Europe by trusted sellers.
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AMD Phenom II X6 1090T - All Hail to Hexa Core King
In an amazing manner, the Phenom II X6 1090T continues to handle multithreaded tasks efficiently, better than you may even imagine. Delivering a 6-core performance, you can efficiently edit, play games and do some office task with this CPU. Not only that, but it also has a base frequency of 3GHz and an amazing boost of 3.6GHz when overclocked.
Obviously, this CPU isnt one to be pushed behind, despite the fact that it has been around for years.
Furthermore, it comes with a massive 6MB L3 cache which allows gamers and editors to load their games and apps.
In general, this CPU has refused to go away because of its adaptability and compatibility with AM3 motherboards.
If you are a gamer who plays the newest games such as Watchdogs 2, Assassins Creed Origins, Mafia 3, Far cry 5, Ashes of Singularity, and Witcher 3, you should go for this one as those games require a processing power of at least six cores.
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AMD Phenom II X4 955 - Quad Core on Steroids
It’s easy being a gamer if you’re on a tight budget, except you can find a CPU such as the Phenom II X4 955. Whether you believe or not, it is the best option for gamers looking for budget-friendly CPUs that can handle their games.
Featuring a base frequency of 3.2GHz, four real cores, and 6MB L3 cache, there is nothing to suggest we are wrong. Also, the Phenom II series supports the DDR3 RAM, which performs exceptionally for gaming tasks since there isn’t any Frame Rate different between DDR3 and DDR4.
We totally recommend this great legendary CPU for budget gamers and builders who’re looking for a CPU with a lot of value for money. Luckily, serious gamers and builders can continue sticking with the Phenom II series, thanks AMD’s lasting support for AM3 + chipset.
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AMD Athlon II X4 640 - Entry Level King
Since they were launched in 2005, Athlon series CPUs have been the standard gaming brand. Even though they had the Pentium series processors lagging behind them in terms of performance and pretty much everything, the story is a bit different today. Core 2 Duo CPUs have really proven to be stern competitors for Athlon since 2008. Nonetheless, the Athlon II X4 640 is widely regarded as the king of budget-friendly CPUs since it comes with four cores that allow it to perform superbly.
Furthermore, the budget-friendly processor comes with 2MB L2 cache, which is sufficient for basic office tasks and nostalgic games.
Also, the unit features a base clock of 3GHz without any turbo boost and no overclocking capabilities, which might be a huge drawback for real-time gamers.
In general, this is a great choice for individuals whose pockets aren’t deep and are looking to save costs in GPU while still obtaining a CPU that can handle games on medium or low presets.
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AMD Athlon II X4 645 - The Last of its Kind
Another budget-friendly option for gamers, the Athlon II X4 645 is an incredible component and is the last of its kind, in fact.
It’s the perfect option for gamers who want more taste of bigger games such as Batman, Assassins Creed franchise, Crysis, Arma, or GTA. The CPU has a whooping base frequency of 3.1 GHz and fully-fledged four cores with 2 MB L2 Cache which is capable of pushing the performance of the GPU in Assassins Creed and Crysis series with steady frame rates.
What’s more, the processor supports either DDR3 or DDR2. However, you need to keep in mind that DDR3 memory kits are less expensive and can be found in any store in the United States and Europe.
As a builder, it’s really great to find processors that support the affordable DDR3 despite allowing for easy building. Thus, you will do your old system a whole world of good by upgrading to the Athlon II X4 series.
Reasons to Consider AM3+ Platform
There are a few reasons why numerous individuals are trying to purchase these processors nowadays. Above all else, there are immense discounts on these products. Numerous shops are attempting to sell the products off, so they reduce the costs for those processors.
Due to these promotions and deals, numerous individuals are looking to get on this platform, which makes AM3+ socket CPUs extraordinary value products.
Besides, there is a wide assortment of DDR3 RAM and AM3 motherboards utilized with these CPUs. Since these processors were lately replaced by Ryzen, there are numerous new motherboards out there for those processors.
Truly they are obsolete and come up short on a few capacities.
Be that as it may, for somebody who isn’t in search of high-end features and is glad to add a card to support SATA3 or USB3.0, this socket will come really handy.
DDR3 is additionally broadly available, not at all like DDR4 which is over the top expensive even for inexpensive models. Used or new, DDR3 can be found anywhere and is very cheap compared to DDR4.
Thirdly, numerous top of the line AM3+ CPUs are being supplanted with new Ryzen processors that are engineered specifically for gaming.
Of course, the market is overwhelmed with used motherboards and AM3+ CPU, and DDR3 RAM as well.
Thus, anyone could simply purchase a system and improve the CPU, maybe replace the graphics card and include some RAM and he’s set to go. Only a few other sockets allow you to buy used system and upgrade it easily.
Several Intel's older platforms don’t have new motherboards, so there is no replacing their motherboards if they ever break.
There is nothing of this sort with the AM3+ platform, as both motherboards and RAM are often available as second hand or new.
In conclusion, they perform well and with ongoing price reductions, they are extraordinary purchases. In fact, they are as speedy as Ryzen 3 CPUs sometimes, and even floor them in some productivity work or gaming tasks.
They offer incredible performance at an extremely lower price, and with more extensive motherboards and RAM available, they can satisfy anyone with their exceptional performance.
Reasons Not to Consider AM3+ Platform
Despite having a lot of upsides, AM3 + platform also has a couple of downsides.
First of all, AM3+ CPUs don’t offer support for the most recent technologies. Most of those motherboards are incompatible with PCI-Express 3.0, SATA3, or USB3.0. also, they don’t offer support for some other technologies, which might be integral to the study or work of some individuals. The motherboards that are compatible with those technologies are usually more expensive, and adding additional cards to enable those functions is also often expensive as well.
Consequently, it will be as costly as purchasing Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 3 with costly DDR4 memory.
Furthermore, AM3+ CPUs typically are more power-consuming, which is in no small thanks to the huge TDP they usually possess.
While this might not be an issue for some people, it is an extra cost for some and they might need to upgrade to a more powerful unit. Due to their high power consumption, AM3+ CPUs lose when it comes to performance per watt.
While the processors may offer great value for money today, their eventual costs will swell up later.
In conclusion, there is no upgrading possibilities with AM3+ CPUs. Apart from not having the most recent technologies, they also don’t allow for an upgrade.
Some individuals might purchase an economical CPU and replace it later with costlier and higher-performing ones. But with AM3+ CPUs, you need to keep in mind that there aren’t any new processor or motherboards coming out later.
Conclusion
While new platforms brought lower power consumption and superior performance, AM3+ platform remains shoulders and head above others. They even offer new CPU and motherboards at only a fraction of their initial cost. Due to the fact that many people switched to a new platform, which therefore reduced the demand for these motherboards and CPUs, a lot of retailers put huge discount on these products.
Furthermore, the CPUs are also cheaper since they use the economical DDR3 rather than DDR4 RAM, which are currently very expensive. If paired with excellent entry-level GPUs such as RX570, GTX1060, or GTX1050T1, AM3 + platform is capable of creating an excellent gaming right with affordable price tag.