Xeon W3540 vs i7-5960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	914	1912
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.81	0.18
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Power efficiency	5.42	1.43
Architecture codename	Haswell-E (2014)	Bloomfield (2008−2010)
Release date	1 September 2014 (10 years ago)	30 March 2009 (15 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$999	$699

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-5960X has 350% better value for money than Xeon W3540.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540 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	2.93 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.5 GHz	3.2 GHz
Bus rate	0 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	20 MB (shared)	8 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	45 nm
Die size	356 mm2	263 mm2
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	68 °C
Number of transistors	2,600 million	731 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540 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	FCLGA1366
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	1.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	+	-
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	+
PAE	no data	36 Bit
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Identity Protection	+	-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR3
Maximum memory size	64 GB	24 GB
Max memory channels	4	3
Maximum memory bandwidth	68 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
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.

Pros & cons summary

---

Performance score	8.34	2.04
Recency	1 September 2014	30 March 2009
Physical cores	8	4
Threads	16	8
Chip lithography	22 nm	45 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	130 Watt

---

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-5960X and Xeon W3540, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.

---