EPYC 7601 vs i7-3960X

#ad 
Buy on Amazon
VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-3960X
2011
6 cores / 12 threads, 130 Watt
5.33
EPYC 7601
2017
32 cores / 64 threads, 180 Watt
20.94
+293%

EPYC 7601 outperforms Core i7-3960X by a whopping 293% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1182266
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.421.62
Market segmentDesktop processorServer
SeriesCore i7 (Desktop)AMD EPYC
Power efficiency3.8811.01
Architecture codenameSandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)Naples (2017−2018)
Release date14 November 2011 (13 years ago)29 June 2017 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$861$4,200

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

EPYC 7601 has 286% better value for money than i7-3960X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601 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 cores6 (Hexa-Core)32 (Dotriaconta-Core)
Threads1264
Base clock speed3.3 GHz2.2 GHz
Boost clock speed3.9 GHz3.2 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/sno data
Multiplierno data22
L1 cache64 KB (per core)96K (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)512K (per core)
L3 cache15 MB (shared)64 MB (shared)
Chip lithography32 nm14 nm
Die size435 mm2192 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)67 °Cno data
Number of transistors2,270 million4,800 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601 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 configuration12 (Multiprocessor)
SocketFCLGA2011TR4
Power consumption (TDP)130 Watt180 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVXno data
AES-NI++
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Smart Response+no data
Demand Based Switching-no data

Security technologies

Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data
Identity Protection+-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601 are enumerated here.

AMD-V-+
VT-d+no data
VT-x+no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4 Eight-channel
Maximum memory size64 GB2 TiB
Max memory channels4no data
Maximum memory bandwidth51.2 GB/s170.671 GB/s

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601.

PCIe version2.03.0
PCI Express lanes40128

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.

i7-3960X 5.33
EPYC 7601 20.94
+293%

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.

i7-3960X 8460
EPYC 7601 33255
+293%

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.

i7-3960X 661
EPYC 7601 792
+19.8%

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.

i7-3960X 3210
EPYC 7601 7699
+140%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 5.33 20.94
Recency 14 November 2011 29 June 2017
Physical cores 6 32
Threads 12 64
Chip lithography 32 nm 14 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 130 Watt 180 Watt

i7-3960X has 38.5% lower power consumption.

EPYC 7601, on the other hand, has a 292.9% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 5 years, 433.3% more physical cores and 433.3% more threads, and a 128.6% more advanced lithography process.

The EPYC 7601 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3960X in performance tests.

Note that Core i7-3960X is a desktop processor while EPYC 7601 is a server/workstation one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X and EPYC 7601, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.


Intel Core i7-3960X
Core i7-3960X
AMD EPYC 7601
EPYC 7601

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.

Community ratings

Here you can see how users rate the processors, as well as rate them yourself.


3.8 75 votes

Rate Core i7-3960X on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
4.9 25 votes

Rate EPYC 7601 on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i7-3960X or EPYC 7601, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.