i5-11600KF vs i7-2960XM

Place in performance ranking	1606	596
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7	no data
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Rocket Lake (2021)
Release date	3 September 2011 (13 years ago)	16 March 2021 (3 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,096	no data

Detailed specifications

Core i7-2960XM and Core i5-11600KF 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)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	8	12
Base clock speed	2.7 GHz	3.9 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.7 GHz	4.9 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	8 GT/s
L1 cache	256 KB	64K (per core)
L2 cache	1 MB	256K (per core)
L3 cache	8 MB	12 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Die size	216 mm²	no data
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	72 °C
Number of transistors	995 Million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-2960XM and Core i5-11600KF 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
Socket	FCPGA988	FCLGA1200
Power consumption (TDP)	55 Watt	125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2960XM and Core i5-11600KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	-
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i7-2960XM and Core i5-11600KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
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 Core i5-11600KF 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 Core i5-11600KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	32 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	50 GB/s

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 Core i5-11600KF 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 Core i5-11600KF.

PCIe version	2.0	4.0
PCI Express lanes	16	20

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.

i7-2960XM 3.07

i5-11600KF 12.68
+313%

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.

i7-2960XM 4754

i5-11600KF 19617
+313%

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i7-2960XM 603

i5-11600KF 2236
+271%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i7-2960XM 1963

i5-11600KF 8742
+345%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	3.07	12.68
Recency	3 September 2011	16 March 2021
Physical cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	55 Watt	125 Watt

i7-2960XM has 127.3% lower power consumption.

i5-11600KF, on the other hand, has a 313% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 9 years, 50% more physical cores and 50% more threads, and a 128.6% more advanced lithography process.

The Core i5-11600KF is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-2960XM in performance tests.

Be aware that Core i7-2960XM is a notebook processor while Core i5-11600KF is a desktop one.

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2960XM and Core i5-11600KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.