i7-4600M vs i7-2960XM

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1635	1917
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i7
Power efficiency	5.15	5.15
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
Release date	4 September 2011 (13 years ago)	1 September 2013 (11 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,096	$346

Detailed specifications

Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M 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)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	8	4
Base clock speed	2.7 GHz	2.9 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.7 GHz	3.6 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Die size	216 mm2	118 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	100 °C
Number of transistors	1,160 million	1,300 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M 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	FCPGA946
Power consumption (TDP)	55 Watt	37 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M. 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
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
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	+	+
Fast Memory Access	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
Identity Protection	+	+
Anti-Theft	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M 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 i7-4600M. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	25.6 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel HD Graphics 3000	Intel HD Graphics 4600
Max video memory	no data	2 GB
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.3 GHz	1.3 GHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	2	3
eDP	+	+
DisplayPort	+	+
HDMI	+	+
VGA	no data	+
SDVO	+	no data
CRT	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	3840x2160@30Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	3840x2160@60Hz
Max resolution over VGA	no data	2880x1800@60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	11.2/12
OpenGL	no data	4.3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M.

PCIe version	2.0	3
PCI Express lanes	16	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	3.05	2.05
Integrated graphics card	0.66	1.84
Recency	4 September 2011	1 September 2013
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	55 Watt	37 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2960XM and Core i7-4600M, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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