i7-5950HQ vs i7-5960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	929	1231
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.75	0.43
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	Intel Core i7
Power efficiency	5.42	9.89
Architecture codename	Haswell-E (2014)	Broadwell-H (2015)
Release date	1 September 2014 (10 years ago)	2 June 2015 (9 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$999	$623

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-5960X has 74% better value for money than i7-5950HQ.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ 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	8 (Octa-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	16	8
Base clock speed	3 GHz	2.9 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz
Bus type	no data	DMI 2.0
Bus rate	0 GT/s	5 GT/s
Multiplier	no data	29
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	1 MB
L3 cache	20 MB (shared)	6 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Die size	356 mm2	182 mm2
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	105 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	105 °C
Number of transistors	2,600 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ 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	FCBGA1364
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	47 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	+	-
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	no data	+
Smart Response	+	+
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
FDI	no data	+
Fast Memory Access	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
Identity Protection	+	+
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR3
Maximum memory size	64 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	68 GB/s	25.6 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	no data	Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200
Max video memory	no data	32 GB
Quick Sync Video	-	+
Clear 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 i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	no data	3
eDP	no data	+
DisplayPort	-	+
HDMI	-	+
VGA	no data	+

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	2560x1600@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	4096x2304@60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	11.2/12
OpenGL	no data	4.3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ.

PCIe version	3.0	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.

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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	8.05	4.93
Recency	1 September 2014	2 June 2015
Physical cores	8	4
Threads	16	8
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	47 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-5960X and Core i7-5950HQ, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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