Xeon X3450 vs Core i7-3960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1095	1911
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	1.10	0.35
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	no data
Release date	14 November 2011 (12 years ago)	1 July 2009 (15 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$861	no data
Current price	$350 (0.4x MSRP)	$197

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-3960X has 214% better value for money than Xeon X3450.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450 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	2.66 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.9 GHz	3.2 GHz
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	no data
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm
Die size	435 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	73 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	67 °C	no data
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 Xeon X3450 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	FCLGA1156,LGA1156
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	1.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	+
PAE	no data	36 Bit
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Identity Protection	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3-800, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333
Maximum memory size	64 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	21 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450.

PCIe version	2.0	2.0
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.

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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 i7-3960X outperforms Xeon X3450 by 196% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	5.45	1.84
Recency	14 November 2011	1 July 2009
Physical cores	6	4
Threads	12	8
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	95 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X and Xeon X3450, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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