Intel Core i7-3960X vs Intel Core i7-3970X. Specifications, performance, tests

Background information about the processors being compared, series, generation and market segment.

• CPU group
  Intel Core i 3000X Intel Core i 3000X
• Family
  Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
• Generation
  3 3
• Segment
  Desktop / Server Desktop / Server

Core counts, threads, cache and clock modes describe the CPU configuration. Performance depends on the workload and comparable measured results.

• Base Frequency
  3.3 GHz 3.5 GHz
• Core architecture
  normal normal
• CPU Cores
  6 6
• CPU Threads
  12 12
• Hyperthreading / SMT
  Yes Yes
• Overclocking
  Yes Yes
• Turbo Frequency (1 Core)
  3.9 GHz 4 GHz
• Turbo Frequency (6 Cores)
  3.9 GHz 4 GHz

Internal Graphics does not affect the performance of the CPU, performs the work of the graphics card in its absence or on mobile devices.

• GPU name
  no iGPU no iGPU
• GPU Turbo
  No turbo No turbo

Built-in codecs used to encode and decode content. Significantly speeds up the required operations.

• AV1
  No No
• H.264 / AVC
  No No
• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  No No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  No No
• JPEG
  No No
• VC-1
  No No
• VP8
  No No
• VP9
  No No

Types, channel quantity of RAM supported by Intel Core i7-3970X and Intel Core i7-3960X. Depending on the motherboards, higher or lower memory frequencies may be supported.

• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  4 4
• Memory type
  DDR3-1600 DDR3-1600

• AES-NI
  Yes Yes

Compare the TDP requirements of TDP Intel Core i7-3960X and Intel Core i7-3970X Power specifications describe different manufacturer limits. TDP, base power and maximum turbo power are separate values; they do not establish measured system consumption.

• TDP (PL1, legacy label)
  130 W 150 W

Architecture, interfaces, additional instructions supported by Intel Core i7-3960X and Intel Core i7-3970X, virtual machine technologies and process technology.

• Architecture
  Sandy Bridge E Sandy Bridge E
• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
• L3-Cache
  15.00 MB 15.00 MB
• Release date
  Q4/2011 Q4/2012
• Socket
  LGA 2011 LGA 2011
• Technology
  32 nm 32 nm
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d (C2 Stepping) VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d (C2 Stepping)