Ryzen 5 2500X vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Ryzen 5 2500X outperforms Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition by a small 7% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1154 | 1110 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | AMD Ryzen 5 |
| Power efficiency | 4.07 | 8.68 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Zen+ (2018−2019) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (13 years ago) | 1 October 2018 (6 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X 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 | 8 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 4 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 4 × 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | 33 | 36 |
| L1 cache | no data | 96K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 512K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 16 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 12 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | 192 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | 4,800 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X 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 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | no data | AM4 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X. 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 Ryzen 5 2500X are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 46.933 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | + |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 20 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.59 | 5.96 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 1 October 2018 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 8 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 12 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
i7-3960X Extreme Edition has 50% more physical cores and 50% more threads.
Ryzen 5 2500X, on the other hand, has a 6.6% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 6 years, a 166.7% more advanced lithography process, and 100% lower power consumption.
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Ryzen 5 2500X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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