i7-9700KF vs i7-3970X
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-9700KF outperforms Core i7-3970X by an impressive 67% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1159 | 847 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.57 | 7.68 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | no data | Intel Core i7 |
| Power efficiency | 3.39 | 8.95 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) |
| Release date | 1 November 2012 (12 years ago) | 7 January 2019 (5 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $593 | $374 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i7-9700KF has 1247% better value for money than i7-3970X.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF 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) | 8 (Octa-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 8 |
| Base clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4 GHz | 4.9 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | DMI 3.0 |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 4 × 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 36 |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 512 KB |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 2 MB |
| L3 cache | 15 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 435 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 70 °C | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2,270 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF 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 | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | FCLGA2011 | FCLGA1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 95 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| TSX | - | + |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| SIPP | - | + |
| Smart Response | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | no data |
Security technologies
Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| MPX | - | + |
| Identity Protection | + | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® ME |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR4-2666 |
| Maximum memory size | 64.45 GB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | 4 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 42.671 GB/s |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 16 |
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. 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.
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.
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 | 5.58 | 9.32 |
| Recency | 1 November 2012 | 7 January 2019 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 8 |
| Threads | 12 | 8 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 95 Watt |
i7-3970X has 50% more threads.
i7-9700KF, on the other hand, has a 67% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 6 years, 33.3% more physical cores, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 57.9% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-9700KF is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3970X in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X and Core i7-9700KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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