Ryzen 9 9950X vs i7-4960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1059	59
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.48	61.79
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Power efficiency	4.60	23.25
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)	Granite Ridge (2024)
Release date	3 September 2013 (11 years ago)	15 August 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$999	$649

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 9950X has 12773% better value for money than i7-4960X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X 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)	16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads	12	32
Base clock speed	3.6 GHz	4.3 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	5.7 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64K (per core)	80 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	64 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	4 nm
Die size	257 mm2	2x 70.6 mm2
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	95 °C
Number of transistors	1,860 million	16,630 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X 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	AM5
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	170 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	SMT, AES, AVX, AVX2, AVX512, FMA3, MMX (+), SHA, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4A
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
Precision Boost 2	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

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

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X are enumerated here.

AMD-V	-	+
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 Ryzen 9 9950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5
Maximum memory size	64 GB	no data
Max memory channels	4	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	59.7 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

AMD Radeon Graphics

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	40	24

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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	6.32	41.77
Recency	3 September 2013	15 August 2024
Physical cores	6	16
Threads	12	32
Chip lithography	22 nm	4 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	170 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 9 9950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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