Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition vs Core i7-4960X

Primary Details

Comparing Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	954	1040
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation	1.28	1.47
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7 (Desktop)	Intel Core i7EE
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	3 September 2013 (10 years ago)	14 November 2011 (12 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$999	no data
Current price	$450 (0.5x MSRP)	$301

Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-3960X Extreme Edition has 15% better value for money than i7-4960X.

Detailed Specifications

Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	12	12
Base clock speed	3.6 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus support	no data	5 GT/s
L1 cache	64K (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256K (per core)	1,536 KB
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	15 MB
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Die size	257 mm2	434.72 mm220.9 mm × 20.8 mm
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,860 million	2270 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	no data
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
Status	Discontinued	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	no data
EDB	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	no data
VT-x	+	no data
EPT	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	no data
Maximum memory size	64 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	4	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	59.7 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

PCIe version	3.0	2.00
PCI Express lanes	40	40

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.

Core i7-4960X outperforms Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition by 14% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & Cons Summary

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Performance score	6.53	5.75
Recency	3 September 2013	14 November 2011
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4960X and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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