AMD Phenom II X4 970 BE socket: Socket AM3

What the Phenom II X4 970 BE is

The AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition is a quad core desktop processor that AMD released in September 2010 for performance towers. It runs four K10 cores at 3.5 GHz with no turbo on the C3 Deneb version, so 4 cores give 4 threads. Each core carries 512 KB of L2 cache for 2 MB in total, backed by 6 MB of shared L3 cache. Power is rated at 125 W on a 45 nm process with a 938-pin package.

The 970 Black Edition exists in two steppings that share the same model name, clocks, cache and power. Early parts use Deneb C3 silicon, while later OEM parts use Zosma E0 silicon harvested from Thuban with two cores disabled. Both run 3.5 GHz at 125 W on Socket AM3, and both carry the unlocked multiplier that defines Black Edition. Against the 965 Black Edition at 3.4 GHz it adds 100 MHz, and against the 975 at 3.6 GHz it trails by 100 MHz.

There is no integrated graphics on this die. AM3 boards with 7 and 8 series chipsets provide board video where fitted. Memory runs in two channels through the on chip controller.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition fits Socket AM3 with 938 pins. All 7 series and 8 series boards with Deneb firmware boot the C3 version directly. The E0 Zosma version boots on boards whose CPU list includes the E0 stepping, which usually means a 2010 or later BIOS. Check the exact board revision because early 2008 firmware may show a generic string.

AM3 chips also fit AM3+ boards, while AM3+ chips never fit AM3. This model also boots on Socket AM2+ boards with DDR2 after a BIOS update that lists the stepping. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules, and the AMD Phenom II X4 975 BE page shows the 100 MHz faster sibling.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is DDR2 up to PC2-8500 and DDR3 up to PC3-10600 in two channels. A matched 2 by 4 GB DDR3-1333 kit suits most 970 towers. ECC UDIMMs work where boards wire them.

HyperTransport 3.0 links the CPU to the chipset at 2.0 GHz. PCIe Gen 2 slots hang off the chipset. A single x16 slot carries period high end cards such as the Radeon HD 5870 class without a CPU lane limit.

Cooling needs a 125 W rated tower on the 48 × 96 mm mount. Retail Black Edition boxes shipped without a sink in some regions, so pair it with a tower rated for 125 W or more and verify case airflow. The unlocked multiplier allows ratio increases without touching the reference clock, but voltage and heat rise quickly past 4.0 GHz on air.

Upgrade paths

On Socket AM3 the upgrade is the 975 Black Edition at 3.6 GHz or the 980 at 3.7 GHz on the same board with the same 125 W cooler class. A Thuban six core such as the 1090T adds two cores with Turbo Core for rendering at the same 125 W.

A move beyond AM3 needs a new board and memory. DDR3 carries to AM3+ with FX parts such as Vishera eight cores, while DDR4 needs a new platform. This single page covers both cpu_list rows for the 970 BE, Deneb and Zosma, because they share one model name and one slug.