i7-3960X vs Xeon E5-2650 v2

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Aggregate performance score

Xeon E5-2650 v2
2013
8 cores / 16 threads, 95 Watt
6.21
+16.5%
Core i7-3960X
2011
6 cores / 12 threads, 130 Watt
5.33

Xeon E5-2650 v2 outperforms Core i7-3960X by a moderate 17% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking10851182
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation2.460.42
Market segmentServerDesktop processor
Seriesno dataCore i7 (Desktop)
Power efficiency6.193.88
Architecture codenameIvy Bridge-EP (2013)Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)
Release date1 September 2013 (11 years ago)14 November 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$650$861

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon E5-2650 v2 has 486% better value for money than i7-3960X.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X 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 cores8 (Octa-Core)6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads1612
Base clock speed2.6 GHz3.3 GHz
Boost clock speed3.4 GHz3.9 GHz
Bus rate8 GT/s5 GT/s
L1 cache64 KB (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)256 KB (per core)
L3 cache20 MB (shared)15 MB (shared)
Chip lithography22 nm32 nm
Die size160 mm2435 mm2
Maximum core temperature75 °Cno data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)no data67 °C
Number of transistors1,400 million2,270 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X 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 configuration21
SocketFCLGA2011FCLGA2011
Power consumption (TDP)95 Watt130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® AVXIntel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX
AES-NI++
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Turbo Boost Technology2.02.0
Hyper-Threading Technology++
Idle States++
Thermal Monitoring++
Flex Memory Access-no data
Smart Responseno data+
Demand Based Switching+-
PAE46 Bitno data

Security technologies

Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+-
EDB++
Secure Key+no data
Identity Protection-+
OS Guard+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X are enumerated here.

VT-d++
VT-x++
EPT++

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR3
Maximum memory size768 GB64 GB
Max memory channels44
Maximum memory bandwidth59.7 GB/s51.2 GB/s
ECC memory support+-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X.

PCIe version3.02.0
PCI Express lanes4040

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


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.

Xeon E5-2650 v2 6.21
+16.5%
i7-3960X 5.33

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

Xeon E5-2650 v2 9864
+16.6%
i7-3960X 8460

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

Xeon E5-2650 v2 519
i7-3960X 661
+27.4%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

Xeon E5-2650 v2 3152
i7-3960X 3210
+1.8%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 6.21 5.33
Recency 1 September 2013 14 November 2011
Physical cores 8 6
Threads 16 12
Chip lithography 22 nm 32 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 95 Watt 130 Watt

Xeon E5-2650 v2 has a 16.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, 33.3% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads, a 45.5% more advanced lithography process, and 36.8% lower power consumption.

The Xeon E5-2650 v2 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3960X in performance tests.

Be aware that Xeon E5-2650 v2 is a server/workstation processor while Core i7-3960X is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5-2650 v2 and Core i7-3960X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Xeon E5-2650 v2
Xeon E5-2650 v2
Intel Core i7-3960X
Core i7-3960X

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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