Phenom II X4 B97 vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition outperforms Phenom II X4 B97 by a whopping 249% 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 | 1388 | 2381 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 2.36 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | no data |
| Power efficiency | 4.15 | 1.62 |
| Designer | Intel | AMD |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Deneb (2009−2011) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (14 years ago) | 11 May 2010 (15 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $100 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Performance to price scatter graph
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Phenom II X4 B97 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 | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | 33 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 128 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 512 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 6 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | 258 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | 758 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Phenom II X4 B97 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 | AM3 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 95 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Phenom II X4 B97. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Phenom II X4 B97. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Phenom II X4 B97.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.03 | 1.44 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 11 May 2010 |
| 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 249.3% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, 50% more physical cores and 200% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
Phenom II X4 B97, on the other hand, has 36.8% lower power consumption.
The Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the AMD Phenom II X4 B97 in performance tests.
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