Xeon 6960P vs i7-980X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1368	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.24	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Power efficiency	3.13	no data
Architecture codename	Gulftown (2010−2011)	Granite Rapids (2024)
Release date	16 March 2010 (14 years ago)	24 September 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$959	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P 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)	72 (Doheptaconta-Core)
Threads	12	144
Base clock speed	3.33 GHz	2.7 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.6 GHz	3.9 GHz
Bus rate	6.4 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	112 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
L3 cache	12 MB (shared)	432 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	5 nm
Die size	239 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	68 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	80 °C
Number of transistors	1,170 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P 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	2
Socket	FCLGA1366	7529
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	500 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	-	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
PAE	36 Bit	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5
Maximum memory size	24 GB	no data
Max memory channels	3	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	no data

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 i7-980X and Xeon 6960P.

PCIe version	2.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	96

Pros & cons summary

---

Recency	16 March 2010	24 September 2024
Physical cores	6	72
Threads	12	144
Chip lithography	32 nm	5 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	500 Watt

---

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-980X and Xeon 6960P, 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.

---