Xeon W-2123 vs Core i7-3970X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1071	1066
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	1.51	23.26
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	no data	Intel Xeon W
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	Skylake (server) (2017−2019)
Release date	1 November 2012 (11 years ago)	29 August 2017 (6 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$593	$294
Current price	$266 (0.4x MSRP)	$30 (0.1x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon W-2123 has 1440% better value for money than i7-3970X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123 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	8
Base clock speed	3.5 GHz	3.6 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.9 GHz
Bus support	no data	4 × 8 GT/s
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	8.25 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Die size	435 mm2	484 mm2
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	65 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	70 °C	64 °C
Number of transistors	2,270 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123 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
Socket	FCLGA2011	FCLGA2066
Power consumption (TDP)	150 Watt	120 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	no data	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	no data	-
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	+
PAE	no data	46 Bit
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	-
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
MPX	no data	+
Identity Protection	+	+
SGX	no data	-
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400, DDR4-2666
Maximum memory size	64.45 GB	512 GB
Max memory channels	4	4
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	85.3 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123.

PCIe version	2.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	40	48

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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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.

Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	5.49	5.50
Recency	1 November 2012	29 August 2017
Physical cores	6	4
Threads	12	8
Cost	$593	$294
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	150 Watt	120 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X and Xeon W-2123, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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