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Intel Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition: specs and benchmarks
- Interface
- Core clock speed
- Max video memory
- Memory type
- Memory clock speed
- Maximum resolution
Summary
Intel started Intel Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition sales 12 November 2012. This is Sandy Bridge architecture desktop processor primarily aimed at office systems. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, and is based on 32 nm manufacturing technology, with a maximum frequency of 3500 MHz - 4000 MHz (1 core)4000 MHz (2 cores)3800 MHz (3 cores)3800 MHz (4 cores)3700 MHz (5 cores)3700 MHz (6 cores) and a locked multiplier.
Compatibility-wise, this is processor with a TDP of 150 Watt.
It provides poor benchmark performance at
of a leader's which is AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX.
General info
Of Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and pricing.
Place in performance rating | 593 | |
Value for money | 2.10 | |
Market segment | Desktop processor | |
Series | Intel Core i7EE | |
Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | |
Release date | 12 November 2012 (9 years ago) | |
Price now | $690 | of 14999 (Xeon Platinum 9282) |
Technical specs
Basic microprocessor parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters can generally indicate CPU performance, but to be more precise you have to review its test results.
Physical cores | 6 (Hexa-Core) | |
Threads | 12 | |
Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | of 5.5 (Core i9-12900KS) |
Bus support | 5 GT/s | |
L2 cache | 1,536 KB | of 12288 (Core 2 Quad Q9550) |
L3 cache | 15 MB | of 32 (Ryzen Threadripper 1998) |
Chip lithography | 32 nm | of 5 (Apple M1) |
64 bit support | + | |
Windows 11 compatibility | - | |
Unlocked multiplier | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition compatibility with other computer components and devices: 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) | of 8 (Opteron 842) |
Thermal design power (TDP) | 150 Watt | of 400 (Xeon Platinum 9282) |
Technologies and extensions
Technological capabilities and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
AES-NI | + | |
AVX | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel number of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition's memory controller. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequency may be supported.
Maximum memory size | 64 GB | of 786 (Xeon E5-2670 v3) |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection types of supported peripherals.
PCIe version | 2.00 | of 3 (Core i7-7700K) |
PCI Express lanes | 40 | of 128 (EPYC 7551P) |
Benchmark performance
Single-core and multi-core benchmark results of Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition. Overall benchmark performance is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Overall 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.
- 3DMark Fire Strike Physics
3DMark Fire Strike Physics
Game benchmarks
Relative perfomance
Overall Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition performance compared to nearest competitors among desktop CPUs.
AMD equivalent
We believe that the nearest equivalent to Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition by AMD is Ryzen 3 4300GE, which is slower by 1% and lower by 7 positions in our rating.
Here are some closest AMD rivals to Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition:
Similar processors
Here is our recommendation of several processors that are more or less close in performance to the one reviewed.
Recommended graphics cards
These graphics cards are most commonly used with Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition according to our statistics.