Xeon W3690 vs Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition outperforms Xeon W3690 by a significant 23% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1059 | 1211 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 1.47 | 0.96 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | no data |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Gulftown (2010−2011) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (12 years ago) | 14 February 2011 (13 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $450 |
| Current price | $301 | $572 (1.3x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i7-3960X Extreme Edition has 53% better value for money than Xeon W3690.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690 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 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 3.46 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 3.73 GHz |
| Bus support | 5 GT/s | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 12 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm220.9 mm × 20.8 mm | 239 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 68 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | 1,170 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | Yes |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690 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 | FCLGA1366,LGA1366 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 130 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | no data |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 1.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | no data | - |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | + |
| PAE | no data | 40 Bit |
| Status | no data | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690 are enumerated here.
| 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 Xeon W3690. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 24 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 3 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 32 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | no data | + |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.75 | 4.67 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 14 February 2011 |
The Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon W3690 in performance tests.
Note that Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is a desktop processor while Xeon W3690 is a server/workstation one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon W3690, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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