Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition vs Ryzen 9 3900X

Primary details

Comparing Ryzen 9 3900X and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	238	1040
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	33.36	0.68
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	AMD Ryzen 9	Intel Core i7EE
Architecture codename	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	7 July 2019 (4 years ago)	12 November 2012 (11 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$499	no data
Current price	$403 (0.8x MSRP)	$690

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 3900X has 4806% better value for money than i7-3970X Extreme Edition.

Detailed specifications

Ryzen 9 3900X 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	12 (Dodeca-Core)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	24	12
Base clock speed	3.8 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	4.6 GHz	3.5 GHz
Bus support	no data	5 GT/s
L1 cache	96K (per core)	no data
L2 cache	512K (per core)	1,536 KB
L3 cache	64 MB	15 MB
Chip lithography	7 nm	32 nm
Maximum core temperature	95 °C	no data
Number of transistors	19,200 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Ryzen 9 3900X 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	AM4	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	125 Watt	150 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen 9 3900X 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	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen 9 3900X and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.

AMD-V

+

no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Ryzen 9 3900X and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4 Dual-channel	no data
Maximum memory size	128 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.196 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen 9 3900X and Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition.

PCIe version	no data	2.00
PCI Express lanes	no data	40

Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	21.11	5.97
Recency	7 July 2019	12 November 2012
Physical cores	12	6
Threads	24	12
Chip lithography	7 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	125 Watt	150 Watt

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