Atom x7-E3950 vs i7-3970X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition outperforms Atom x7-E3950 by a whopping 395% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1095 | 2328 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | 7x Intel Atom |
| Power efficiency | 3.66 | 9.25 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Apollo Lake (2014−2016) |
| Release date | 12 November 2012 (11 years ago) | 30 August 2014 (10 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $57 |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950 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 | no data | 1.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 2 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | 35 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 56K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 2 MB (shared) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 110 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 103 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950 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 | Intel BGA 1296 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 12 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
Security technologies
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950 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 x7-E3950. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3, DDR4 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 8 GB |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel HD Graphics 505 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 4 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 6.04 | 1.22 |
| Recency | 12 November 2012 | 30 August 2014 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 12 Watt |
i7-3970X Extreme Edition has a 395.1% higher aggregate performance score, and 50% more physical cores and 200% more threads.
Atom x7-E3950, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 1150% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the Atom x7-E3950 in performance tests.
Note that Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition is a desktop processor while Atom x7-E3950 is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Atom x7-E3950, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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