AMD's Dragon, Phenom II get official
![john-morris.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/3d3129e68550ca005ce2ca722afe3f3e001b3b3a/2014/07/22/491b7ebe-1175-11e4-9732-00505685119a/john-morris.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
AMD is taking its second stab at a desktop platform--this time with a more promising processor as its foundation. The Phenom II X4, which AMD officially announced yesterday, is the final piece in its new Dragon platform for high-end desktops. The other components are the ATI Radeon 4800 series graphics and 7-series chipset--both of which are already in wide use.
Even AMD admits that's not enough to match Intel's Core i7, but it does put them back in the game and the real question is how Dragon-based desktops will match up to Intel desktops at the same price. Phenom II X4s are already shipping and at CES I've seen Dragon desktops from Dell and its Alienware gaming group. HP is already selling a Pavilion Elite m9500z desktop with Phenom II. Several enthusiast sites have posted numbers for the Phenom II X4 (some links below), and Computer Shopper has posted a full review of the Dell XPS 625.
AMD Phenom II reviews coverage:
- AMD's Phenom II processors [Tech Report]
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition Review [ExtremeTech]
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Processor Review [Legit Reviews]