Core i5-3550 vs Core i7-4960X
Aggregate performance score
i7-4960X outperforms i5-3550 by a whopping 110% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 981 | 1542 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 1.25 | 1.00 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7 (Desktop) | Intel Core i5 (Desktop) |
| Architecture codename | Ivy Bridge-E (2013) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| Release date | 3 September 2013 (10 years ago) | 29 April 2012 (12 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $999 | $205 |
| Current price | $450 (0.5x MSRP) | $116 (0.6x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i7-4960X has 25% better value for money than i5-3550.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550 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 | 3.6 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 22 nm |
| Die size | 257 mm2 | 160 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 67 °C | 67 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 67 °C |
| Number of transistors | 1,860 million | 1,400 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550 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 | FCLGA1155 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 77 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550. 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® AVX |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| TSX | no data | - |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Smart Response | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | no data |
| FDI | no data | + |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | + | + |
| Anti-Theft | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | 4 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 59.7 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | - |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel HD Graphics 2500 |
| Quick Sync Video | no data | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.15 GHz |
| InTru 3D | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 3 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
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.
Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i5-3550 by 110% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i5-3550 by 110% in Passmark.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i5-3550 by 7% in GeekBench 5 Single-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.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i5-3550 by 79% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
3DMark06 CPU
3DMark06 is a discontinued DirectX 9 benchmark suite from Futuremark. Its CPU part contains two scenarios, one dedicated to artificial intelligence pathfinding, another to game physics using PhysX package.
Benchmark coverage: 19%
Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i5-3550 by 37% in 3DMark06 CPU.
wPrime 32
wPrime 32M is a math multi-thread processor test, which calculates square roots of first 32 million integer numbers. Its result is measured in seconds, so that the less is benchmark result, the faster the processor.
Benchmark coverage: 18%
Core i5-3550 outperforms Core i7-4960X by 119% in wPrime 32.
Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 11.5 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R11.5 which uses all the processor threads. A maximum of 64 threads is supported in this version.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i5-3550 by 93% in Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core.
3DMark Fire Strike Physics
Benchmark coverage: 4%
Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i5-3550 by 126% in 3DMark Fire Strike Physics.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 6.52 | 3.11 |
| Recency | 3 September 2013 | 29 April 2012 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Cost | $999 | $205 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 77 Watt |
The Core i7-4960X is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i5-3550 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4960X and Core i5-3550, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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