Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition vs Ryzen 5 2600

Primary details

Comparing Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	836	1069
Place by popularity	24	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	19.17	1.23
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	AMD Ryzen 5	Intel Core i7EE
Architecture codename	Pinnacle Riege (Zen+)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	19 April 2018 (6 years ago)	14 November 2011 (12 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$199	no data
Current price	$142 (0.7x MSRP)	$350

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 5 2600 has 1459% better value for money than i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

Detailed specifications

Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	12	12
Base clock speed	3.4 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	3.9 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus support	no data	5 GT/s
L1 cache	96K (per core)	no data
L2 cache	3 MB	1,536 KB
L3 cache	16 MB (shared)	15 MB
Chip lithography	12 nm	32 nm
Die size	192 mm2	434.72 mm220.9 mm × 20.8 mm
Maximum core temperature	95 °C	no data
Number of transistors	4,800 million	2270 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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 (Uniprocessor)	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	AM4	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	65 Watt	130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	DDR4-2933 RAM, PCIe 3, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4A, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, BMI2, ABM, FMA, ADX, SMEP, SMAP, SMT, CPB, AES-NI, RDRAND, RDSEED, SHA, SME	no data
AES-NI	+	+
FMA	+	no data
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.

AMD-V

+

no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	no data
Maximum memory size	128 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	46.933 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	+	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

PCIe version	3.0	2.00
PCI Express lanes	20	40

Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	8.53	5.75
Recency	19 April 2018	14 November 2011
Chip lithography	12 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	65 Watt	130 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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