Ryzen 5 3500 vs Core i7-6950X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	648	860
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.53	3.67
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7 (Desktop)	AMD Ryzen 5
Architecture codename	Broadwell-E (2016)	Zen 2 (2019−2020)
Release date	31 May 2016 (8 years ago)	no data
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,723	no data
Current price	$687 (0.4x MSRP)	$155

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 5 3500 has 45% better value for money than i7-6950X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500 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	10 (Deca-Core)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	20	6
Base clock speed	3 GHz	3.6 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	4.1 GHz
Bus support	9.6 GT/s / QPI	no data
L1 cache	32K (per core)	384 KB
L2 cache	256K (per core)	3 MB
L3 cache	25 MB (shared)	16 MB
Chip lithography	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Die size	246 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	67°	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	3,800 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500 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	Socket AM4
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Smart Response	+	no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data
Status	Discontinued	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	no data
EDB	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500 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 i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	128 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	no data	51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500.

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.

Core i7-6950X outperforms Ryzen 5 3500 by 36% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	11.26	8.27
Physical cores	10	6
Threads	20	6
Chip lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	65 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6950X and Ryzen 5 3500, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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