EPYC 7H12 vs Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1069	37
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	1.23	23.95
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Intel Core i7EE	AMD EPYC
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Zen 2 (2019−2020)
Release date	14 November 2011 (12 years ago)	18 September 2019 (4 years ago)
Current price	$350	$1750

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

EPYC 7H12 has 1847% better value for money than i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12 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)	64 (Tetrahexaconta-Core)
Threads	12	128
Base clock speed	no data	2.6 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.3 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus support	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	no data	96K (per core)
L2 cache	1,536 KB	512K (per core)
L3 cache	15 MB	256 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm, 14 nm
Die size	434.72 mm220.9 mm × 20.8 mm	192 mm2
Number of transistors	2270 Million	4,800 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	No	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12 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)	2 (Multiprocessor)
Socket	no data	TR4
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	280 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12 are enumerated here.

AMD-V

no data

+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	no data	DDR4 Eight-channel
Maximum memory size	64 GB	4 TiB
Max memory channels	no data	8
Maximum memory bandwidth	no data	204.763 GB/s
ECC memory support	no data	+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12.

PCIe version	2.00	no data
PCI Express lanes	40	no data

Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	5.75	45.02
Recency	14 November 2011	18 September 2019
Physical cores	6	64
Threads	12	128
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	280 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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