Atom C3950 vs i7-2960XM
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1610 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Server |
| Series | Intel Core i7 | Intel Atom |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Goldmont (2016−2017) |
| Release date | 4 September 2011 (13 years ago) | 15 August 2017 (7 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $1,096 | $389 |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950 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 | 4 (Quad-Core) | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) |
| Threads | 8 | 16 |
| Base clock speed | 2.7 GHz | 1.7 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 2.2 GHz |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | no data | 17 |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 896 KB |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 16 MB |
| L3 cache | 8 MB (shared) | 16 MB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 216 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | 100 °C | 78 °C |
| Number of transistors | 1,160 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950 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 | 1 | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | FCPGA988 | FCBGA1310 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 55 Watt | 24 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® AVX | no data |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| QuickAssist | no data | - |
| My WiFi | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| Idle States | + | no data |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | - |
| Flex Memory Access | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | no data |
| FDI | + | no data |
| Fast Memory Access | + | no data |
| Status | Discontinued | Launched |
Security technologies
Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | no data |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Boot | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | + | - |
| SGX | no data | - |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
| Anti-Theft | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | - |
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR4: 2400 |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB | 256 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 38.397 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | + |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD Graphics 3000 | no data |
| Quick Sync Video | + | - |
| Clear Video HD | + | no data |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.3 GHz | no data |
| InTru 3D | + | no data |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 2 | no data |
| eDP | + | no data |
| DisplayPort | + | - |
| HDMI | + | - |
| SDVO | + | no data |
| CRT | + | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 3 |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | 16 |
| USB revision | no data | 3 |
| Total number of SATA ports | no data | 16 |
| Max number of SATA 6 Gb/s Ports | no data | 16 |
| Number of USB ports | no data | 8 |
| Integrated LAN | no data | 2x10/2.5/1 GBE + 2x1 GBE |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 4 September 2011 | 15 August 2017 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 16 |
| Threads | 8 | 16 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 55 Watt | 24 Watt |
Atom C3950 has an age advantage of 5 years, 300% more physical cores and 100% more threads, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 129.2% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Core i7-2960XM is a notebook processor while Atom C3950 is a server/workstation one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2960XM and Atom C3950, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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