Xeon X5460 vs i7-3960X
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3960X outperforms Xeon X5460 by a whopping 225% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1330 | 2268 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.42 | 0.08 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Series | Core i7 (Desktop) | no data |
| Power efficiency | 1.56 | 0.52 |
| Designer | Intel | Intel |
| Manufacturer | Intel | Intel |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) | Harpertown (2007−2008) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (13 years ago) | 11 November 2007 (17 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $861 | $1,172 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i7-3960X has 425% better value for money than Xeon X5460.
Performance to price scatter graph
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X and Xeon X5460 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 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 3.16 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.9 GHz | 0.17 GHz |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 6 MB (per die) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB (shared) | 12 MB L2 Cache |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | 435 mm2 | 2x 107 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 67 °C | 63 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2,270 million | 820 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.85V-1.35V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X and Xeon X5460 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 | 2 |
| Socket | FCLGA2011 | LGA771 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 120 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X5460. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX | no data |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Smart Response | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | + |
| FSB parity | no data | + |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X and Xeon X5460 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Identity Protection | + | - |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X5460 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | no data |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | - |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X5460. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 4 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | N/A |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon X5460.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
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.
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. Other than that, Passmark measures multi-core performance.
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.
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.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.24 | 1.61 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 11 November 2007 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 120 Watt |
i7-3960X has a 225.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 years, 50% more physical cores and 200% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
Xeon X5460, on the other hand, has 8.3% lower power consumption.
The Intel Core i7-3960X is our recommended choice as it beats the Intel Xeon X5460 in performance tests.
Note that Core i7-3960X is a desktop processor while Xeon X5460 is a server/workstation one.
Other comparisons
We've compiled a selection of CPU comparisons, ranging from closely matched processors to other comparisons that may be of interest.
