Atom 230 vs i7-3970X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition outperforms Atom 230 by a whopping 5182% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
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 the ranking | 1117 | 3361 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | Intel Atom |
| Power efficiency | 3.67 | 2.60 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Silverthorne (2008−2010) |
| Release date | 12 November 2012 (12 years ago) | 2 April 2008 (16 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $29 |
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 | 0.1 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | FSB |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 533.33 MT/s |
| Multiplier | 35 | 12 |
| 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 | 25.9638 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 85 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 47 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| 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 | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | - |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | - |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
| FSB parity | no data | - |
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
| Performance score | 5.81 | 0.11 |
| Recency | 12 November 2012 | 2 April 2008 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 1 |
| Threads | 12 | 2 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 4 Watt |
i7-3970X Extreme Edition has a 5181.8% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 years, 500% more physical cores and 500% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
Atom 230, on the other hand, has 3650% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the Atom 230 in performance tests.
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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