Core i5-9400F vs Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i5-9400F outperforms Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition by a small 6% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1069 | 1021 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | 29 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 1.21 | 17.11 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | Intel Core i5 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (12 years ago) | 8 January 2019 (5 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $182 |
| Current price | $350 | $129 (0.7x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i5-9400F has 1314% better value for money than i7-3960X Extreme Edition.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F 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) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 6 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.9 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 4.1 GHz |
| Bus support | 5 GT/s | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 64K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 9 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm220.9 mm × 20.8 mm | 149 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F 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) | 1 |
| Socket | no data | FCLGA1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | - |
| TSX | no data | - |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | no data | + |
| SIPP | no data | - |
| Status | no data | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | - |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| MPX | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | no data | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® ME |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F 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 Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4-2666 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 41.6 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | no data | - |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 16 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.75 | 6.12 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 8 January 2019 |
| Threads | 12 | 6 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-9400F, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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