Atom 230 vs Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1041 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.68 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | Intel Atom |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Silverthorne (2008−2010) |
| Release date | 12 November 2012 (11 years ago) | 1 March 2008 (16 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $29 |
| Current price | $690 | $170 (5.9x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230 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) | 1 (Single-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 2 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 1.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 1.6 GHz |
| Bus support | 5 GT/s | 533 MHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 56 KB |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 512 KB |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | no data | 26 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 85 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 47 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.9V-1.1625V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230 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 (Uniprocessor) | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | no data | PBGA437 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 4 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE2, Intel® SSE3, Intel® SSSE3 |
| AES-NI | + | no data |
| AVX | + | no data |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | - |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | - |
| Thermal Monitoring | no data | - |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
| FSB parity | no data | - |
| Status | no data | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | - |
| EDB | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | - |
| VT-x | no data | - |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 8 GB |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 12 November 2012 | 1 March 2008 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 1 |
| Threads | 12 | 2 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 4 Watt |
We couldn't decide between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230. We've got no test results to judge.
Note that Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition is a desktop processor while Atom 230 is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom 230, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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