EPYC 9654 vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
EPYC 9654 outperforms Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition by a whopping 1244% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1139 | 5 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 1.27 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | AMD EPYC |
| Power efficiency | 4.07 | 19.74 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Genoa (2022−2023) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (12 years ago) | 10 November 2022 (1 year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $11,805 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654 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) | 96 |
| Threads | 12 | 192 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.4 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | 33 | 24 |
| L1 cache | no data | 6 MB |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 96 MB |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 384 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 5 nm, 6 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | 12x 72 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | 78,840 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | no data |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654 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 |
| Socket | no data | SP5 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 360 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
| Precision Boost 2 | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR5-4800 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 6 TiB |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 460.8 GB/s |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 128 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.80 | 77.95 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 10 November 2022 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 96 |
| Threads | 12 | 192 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 5 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 360 Watt |
i7-3960X Extreme Edition has 176.9% lower power consumption.
EPYC 9654, on the other hand, has a 1244% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 10 years, 1500% more physical cores and 1500% more threads, and a 540% more advanced lithography process.
The EPYC 9654 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition in performance tests.
Note that Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is a desktop processor while EPYC 9654 is a server/workstation one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 9654, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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