Ryzen 5 3600X vs Core i7-5960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	865	619
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	6.04	30.69
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	AMD Ryzen 5
Architecture codename	Haswell-E (2014)	Matisse (2019−2020)
Release date	1 September 2014 (9 years ago)	7 July 2019 (4 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$999	$249
Current price	$148 (0.1x MSRP)	$190 (0.8x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 5 3600X has 408% better value for money than i7-5960X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X 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)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	16	12
Base clock speed	3 GHz	3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.5 GHz	4.4 GHz
L1 cache	64K (per core)	96K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)
L3 cache	20 MB (shared)	32 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Die size	356 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	no data
Number of transistors	2,600 million	4,800 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X 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	AM4
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
TSX	+	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 i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X 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 i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size	64 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	68 GB/s	51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X.

PCIe version	3.0	no data
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.

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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.

Ryzen 5 3600X outperforms Core i7-5960X by 43% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	8.23	11.77
Recency	1 September 2014	7 July 2019
Physical cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Cost	$999	$249
Chip lithography	22 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	95 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-5960X and Ryzen 5 3600X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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