Core i7-7700 vs Core i7-3960X
Aggregated performance score
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 3% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1074 | 1054 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | 69 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 1.31 | 4.73 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Core i7 (Desktop) | Intel Core i7 (Desktop) |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (12 years ago) | 3 January 2017 (7 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $861 | $303 |
| Current price | $301 (0.3x MSRP) | $178 (0.6x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i7-7700 has 261% better value for money than i7-3960X.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 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 | 3.3 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.9 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 64K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 435 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | 67 °C | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 67 °C | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2,270 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 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 | 1 |
| Socket | FCLGA2011 | FCLGA1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | + |
| TSX | no data | + |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| SIPP | no data | + |
| Smart Response | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | no data |
| Status | Discontinued | Launched |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| MPX | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | + | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® ME |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | no data | + |
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3, DDR4 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | 4 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 38.397 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | - |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel HD Graphics 630 |
| Max video memory | no data | 64 GB |
| Quick Sync Video | no data | + |
| Clear Video | no data | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.15 GHz |
| InTru 3D | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 3 |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| 4K resolution support | no data | + |
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | no data | 4096x2304@24Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 4096x2304@60Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | no data | 4096x2304@60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | no data | 12 |
| OpenGL | no data | 4.5 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 16 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 3% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 3% in Passmark.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 102% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 33% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
wPrime 32
wPrime 32M is a math multi-thread processor test, which calculates square roots of first 32 million integer numbers. Its result is measured in seconds, so that the less is benchmark result, the faster the processor.
Benchmark coverage: 18%
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 31% in wPrime 32.
Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 11.5 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R11.5 which uses all the processor threads. A maximum of 64 threads is supported in this version.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
Core i7-3960X outperforms Core i7-7700 by 11% in Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core.
Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 15 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R15 which uses all the processor threads.
Benchmark coverage: 15%
Core i7-3960X outperforms Core i7-7700 by 35% in Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core.
Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core
Cinebench R15 (standing for Release 15) is a benchmark made by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version (sometimes called Single-Thread) only uses a single processor thread to render a room full of reflective spheres and light sources.
Benchmark coverage: 15%
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 12% in Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core.
Cinebench 11.5 64-bit single-core
Cinebench R11.5 is an old benchmark by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version loads a single thread with ray tracing to render a glossy room full of crystal spheres and light sources.
Benchmark coverage: 14%
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 33% in Cinebench 11.5 64-bit single-core.
x264 encoding pass 1
x264 version 4.0 is a video encoding benchmark uses MPEG 4 x264 compression method to compress a sample HD (720p) video. Pass 1 is a faster variant that produces a constant bit rate output file. Its result is measured in frames per second, which means how many frames of the source video file were encoded per second.
Benchmark coverage: 13%
Core i7-7700 outperforms Core i7-3960X by 5% in x264 encoding pass 1.
x264 encoding pass 2
x264 Pass 2 is a slower variant of x264 video compression that produces a variable bit rate output file, which results in better quality since the higher bit rate is used when it is needed more. Benchmark result is still measured in frames per second.
Benchmark coverage: 13%
Core i7-3960X outperforms Core i7-7700 by 12% in x264 encoding pass 2.
3DMark Fire Strike Physics
Benchmark coverage: 4%
Core i7-3960X outperforms Core i7-7700 by 2% in 3DMark Fire Strike Physics.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.43 | 5.60 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 3 January 2017 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 8 |
| Cost | $861 | $303 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X and Core i7-7700, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
