AMD Athlon II X4 640

The AMD Athlon II X4 640 brings 4 cores and 8 threads. It drops into the AM3 socket with a 95W TDP — about 23.8W per core. Clocks span 3GHz base to 3GHz boost. Confirm motherboard socket compatibility before anything else, then size the cooler to the TDP.

Its $68.02 price tag places it squarely in budget territory. Use the PlanMyPC system builder to verify it works alongside your other components and to watch live retailer pricing. Warranty coverage follows AMD's standard policy — confirm regional terms on the listing. Scroll down for the complete spec table; the builder's compatibility checker will warn you about any conflicts with components you have already picked.