Core 2 Quad Q9500 vs Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition outperforms Core 2 Quad Q9500 by a whopping 296% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1425 | 2531 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | no data |
| Power efficiency | 1.65 | 0.57 |
| Designer | Intel | Intel |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | no data |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (14 years ago) | no data |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Quad Q9500 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 | 6 (Hexa-Core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.83 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | no data |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 1333 MHz |
| Multiplier | 33 | no data |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | no data |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 6 MB L2 Cache |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 71 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.85V-1.3625V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Quad Q9500 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 (Uniprocessor) | no data |
| Socket | no data | LGA775 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 95 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Quad Q9500. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | - |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Quad Q9500 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | - |
| EDB | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Quad Q9500 are enumerated here.
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Quad Q9500. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Quad Q9500.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.07 | 1.28 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 95 Watt |
i7-3960X Extreme Edition has a 296% higher aggregate performance score, 50% more physical cores and 200% more threads, and a 41% more advanced lithography process.
Core 2 Quad Q9500, on the other hand, has 37% lower power consumption.
The Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9500 in performance tests.
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