AMD FX-8120 vs Intel Core i7-970

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Combined performance score

i7-970
4.27

General info

Comparing Core i7-970 and FX-8120 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking12571255
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Value for money0.872.74
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Architecture codenameGulftown (2010−2011)Zambezi (2011−2012)
Release date19 July 2010 (13 years old)12 October 2011 (12 years old)
Launch price (MSRP)$662no data
Current price$278 (0.4x MSRP)$74
Value for money

Performance per price, higher is better.

FX-8120 has 215% better value for money than i7-970.

Technical specs

Core i7-970 and FX-8120 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 cores6 (Hexa-Core)8 (Octa-Core)
Threads128
Base clock speed3.2 GHz3.1 GHz
Boost clock speed3.46 GHz4 GHz
L1 cache64 KB (per core)384 KB
L2 cache256 KB (per core)8192 KB
L3 cache12 MB (shared)8192 KB
Chip lithography32 nm32 nm
Die size239 mm2315 mm2
Maximum core temperature68 °C61 °C
Number of transistors1,170 million1,200 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplierNoYes
P0 Vcore voltageno dataMin: 1.0125 V - Max: 1.4125 V

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-970 and FX-8120 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 configuration11
SocketFCLGA1366AM3+
Power consumption (TDP)130 Watt125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-970 and FX-8120. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.2no data
AES-NI++
FMAno data+
AVXno data+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology1.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring-no data
Demand Based Switching-no data
PAE36 Bitno data
StatusDiscontinuedno data

Security technologies

Core i7-970 and FX-8120 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 i7-970 and FX-8120 are enumerated here.

AMD-Vno data+
VT-x+no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-970 and FX-8120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR3
Maximum memory size24 GBno data
Max memory channels3no data
Maximum memory bandwidth25.6 GB/sno data
ECC memory support-no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-970 and FX-8120.

PCIe version2.0n/a

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.

i7-970 4.27
FX-8120 4.29
+0.5%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

Benchmark coverage: 68%

i7-970 6561
FX-8120 6594
+0.5%

FX-8120 outperforms Core i7-970 by 1% in Passmark.

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i7-970 497
+17.2%
FX-8120 424

Core i7-970 outperforms FX-8120 by 17% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i7-970 2341
+49.6%
FX-8120 1565

Core i7-970 outperforms FX-8120 by 50% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.

3DMark Fire Strike Physics

Benchmark coverage: 4%

i7-970 7520
+39.8%
FX-8120 5380

Core i7-970 outperforms FX-8120 by 40% in 3DMark Fire Strike Physics.

Gaming performance

Advantages and disadvantages


Performance score 4.27 4.29
Recency 19 July 2010 12 October 2011
Physical cores 6 8
Threads 12 8
Power consumption (TDP) 130 Watt 125 Watt

We couldn't decide between Core i7-970 and FX-8120. The differences in performance seem too small.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-970 and FX-8120, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

User ratings

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


Intel Core i7-970
Core i7-970
AMD FX-8120
FX-8120

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User ratings: view and submit

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4.2 59 votes

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4.1 859 votes

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Questions and comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i7-970 or FX-8120, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.