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You can compare performance of various CPUs in various benchmarks with: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/2

Also, if you live near a Microcenter, this deal is smoking hot...: http://www.microcenter.com/specials/prom...PROMO.html

IF you know how to use the bios you can make a phenom x3 into a phenom x4
What AMD did was all Phenom x4 that weren't stable they shut off the cores and made them various models..
The athlons you can't do that with because its a different model. You can find a guide online on how to do.
Go with the Phenom x3

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Microcenter reminds me of Frys Electronics.

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If I were you I'd drop the money into the Athlon II X4 rather than the X3.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819103885

Only reason I'm recommending the X4 rather than the X3 is the motherboard you have doesn't include a Core Unlocker.