i7-3970X Extreme Edition vs Ryzen 5 3500
Aggregate performance score
Ryzen 5 3500 outperforms Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition by a substantial 39% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 940 | 1129 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | AMD Ryzen 5 | Intel Core i7EE |
| Power efficiency | 11.72 | 3.67 |
| Architecture codename | Zen 2 (2017−2020) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| Release date | no data | 12 November 2012 (12 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X 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 | 6 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 3.6 GHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | 4.1 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | DMI 2.0 |
| Bus rate | no data | 5 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 35 |
| L1 cache | 384 KB | no data |
| L2 cache | 3 MB | 1,536 KB |
| L3 cache | 16 MB | 15 MB |
| Chip lithography | 7 nm, 12 nm | 32 nm |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X 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 | Socket AM4 | no data |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 150 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Precision Boost 2 | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | - |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4-3200 | no data |
| Maximum memory size | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 51.196 GB/s | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition.
| PCIe version | no data | 2.00 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 40 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 8.05 | 5.81 |
| Threads | 6 | 12 |
| Chip lithography | 7 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 150 Watt |
Ryzen 5 3500 has a 38.6% higher aggregate performance score, a 357.1% more advanced lithography process, and 130.8% lower power consumption.
i7-3970X Extreme Edition, on the other hand, has 100% more threads.
The Ryzen 5 3500 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen 5 3500 and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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