i7-3960X vs Apple M3 Max 16-Core
Aggregate performance score
Apple M3 Max 16-Core outperforms Core i7-3960X by a whopping 385% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 187 | 1167 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 0.38 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple M3 | Core i7 (Desktop) |
| Power efficiency | 31.31 | 3.87 |
| Architecture codename | no data | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) |
| Release date | 30 October 2023 (1 year ago) | 14 November 2011 (12 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $861 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 16 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 2.748 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.06 GHz | 3.9 GHz |
| Bus rate | no data | 5 GT/s |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 15 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | no data | 435 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 67 °C |
| Number of transistors | 92000 Million | 2,270 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | no data | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 |
| Socket | no data | FCLGA2011 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 78 Watt | 130 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX |
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Smart Response | no data | + |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
Security technologies
Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | - |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | - | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 4 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 51.2 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X.
| PCIe version | no data | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 40 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 15 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R15 which uses all the processor threads.
Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core
Cinebench R15 (standing for Release 15) is a benchmark made by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version (sometimes called Single-Thread) only uses a single processor thread to render a room full of reflective spheres and light sources.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 26.78 | 5.52 |
| Recency | 30 October 2023 | 14 November 2011 |
| Physical cores | 16 | 6 |
| Threads | 16 | 12 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 78 Watt | 130 Watt |
Apple M3 Max 16-Core has a 385.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 11 years, 166.7% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads, a 966.7% more advanced lithography process, and 66.7% lower power consumption.
The Apple M3 Max 16-Core is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3960X in performance tests.
Be aware that Apple M3 Max 16-Core is a notebook processor while Core i7-3960X is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Apple M3 Max 16-Core and Core i7-3960X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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