Core i7-640M vs Core i9-7960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	295	2158
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	3.47	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i9	Intel Core i7
Architecture codename	Skylake (server) (2017−2019)	Arrandale (2010−2011)
Release date	1 September 2017 (6 years ago)	1 September 2010 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,699	$346
Current price	$2066 (1.2x MSRP)	$524 (1.5x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M 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	16 (Hexadeca-Core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	32	4
Base clock speed	2.8 GHz	2.8 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.4 GHz	3.46 GHz
Bus support	4 × 8 GT/s	2500 MHz
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	1 MB (per core)	256K (per core)
L3 cache	22 MB (shared)	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Die size	484 mm2	81+114 mm2
Maximum core temperature	98 °C	105 °C
Number of transistors	no data	384 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M 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	FCLGA2066	BGA1288,PGA988
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	35 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	+	+
FMA	no data	+
AVX	+	no data
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	+
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	+	no data
Idle States	no data	+
Thermal Monitoring	no data	+
Flex Memory Access	no data	+
PAE	no data	36 Bit
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data
FDI	no data	+
Fast Memory Access	no data	+
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	+
EDB	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4-2666	DDR3
Maximum memory size	128 GB	8 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	85 GB/s	17.1 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	N/A	Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors
Clear Video	no data	+
Clear Video HD	no data	+
Graphics max frequency	no data	766 MHz

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

2

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	44	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 i9-7960X outperforms Core i7-640M by 1286% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	18.57	1.34
Recency	1 September 2017	1 September 2010
Physical cores	16	2
Threads	32	4
Cost	$1699	$346
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	35 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-7960X and Core i7-640M, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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