Core i7-870 vs Core i7-980X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-980X and Core i7-870 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1265	1824
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.40	0.95
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Architecture codename	Gulftown (2010−2011)	Lynnfield (2009−2010)
Release date	16 March 2010 (14 years ago)	September 2009 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$959	$305
Current price	$106 (0.1x MSRP)	$114 (0.4x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-980X has 153% better value for money than i7-870.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-980X and Core i7-870 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	6 (Hexa-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	12	8
Base clock speed	3.33 GHz	2.93 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	12 MB (shared)	8 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm
Die size	239 mm2	296 mm2
Maximum core temperature	68 °C	73 °C
Number of transistors	1,170 million	774 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-980X and Core i7-870 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	FCLGA1366	FCLGA1156,LGA1156
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-980X and Core i7-870. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	+	-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	1.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	-	-
Demand Based Switching	-	-
PAE	36 Bit	36 Bit
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-980X and Core i7-870 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-980X and Core i7-870 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-980X and Core i7-870. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	24 GB	16 GB
Max memory channels	3	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	21 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-980X and Core i7-870.

PCIe version	2.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	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.

Core i7-980X outperforms Core i7-870 by 119% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	4.42	2.02
Physical cores	6	4
Threads	12	8
Cost	$959	$305
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	95 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-980X and Core i7-870, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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