AMD cpu x3 x4

[jasonn20]

I have the Phenom x2 550 and it works great but I have got into video creation and the encoding time is longer than i would like. I have been thinking on the Phenom 955 x4 or 720 x3 and gamble on the 4th core. I almost would buy another 550 in hope it would unlock but it is a more of a gamble than the 720 it seems. I really do not want to spend $190.00 on the 955. Would I be better to wait for the 975 in hope this price will drop??
What seems to have the best odds on unlocking?

 

[2048Megabytes]

The prices may drop within a month on the Phenom II Quad-Core processors because the Intel i5 processor was just released. If you want a quad-core I would not risk buying a triple-core processor in hopes that you will get lucky on unlocking a fourth core.

The Phenom II 945 Deneb (3.0 gigahertz) has about the same processing power as the Phenom II 955 (3.2 gigahertz) processor and it is $15 less at $170.

After you buy a Phenom II Quad-Core you could likely also sell your Phenom II 550 for at least $65.