Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition vs Xeon E5-2696 V3

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E5-2696 V3 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	476	1069
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	53.65	1.23
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Series	no data	Intel Core i7EE
Architecture codename	Haswell-EP (2014)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	8 September 2014 (9 years ago)	14 November 2011 (12 years ago)
Current price	$106	$350

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon E5-2696 V3 has 4262% better value for money than i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E5-2696 V3 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	18 (Octadeca-Core)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	36	12
Base clock speed	2.3 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	3.8 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus support	no data	5 GT/s
L1 cache	64K (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256K (per core)	1,536 KB
L3 cache	45 MB (shared)	15 MB
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Die size	356 mm2	434.72 mm220.9 mm × 20.8 mm
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	77 °C	no data
Number of transistors	2,600 million	2270 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	no data	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	No

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E5-2696 V3 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	2	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	2011-3	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	145 Watt	130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5-2696 V3 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
TSX	+	no data

Security technologies

Xeon E5-2696 V3 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT

+

no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5-2696 V3 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5-2696 V3 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3, DDR42133 MHz Quad-channel	no data
Maximum memory size	no data	64 GB

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5-2696 V3 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

PCIe version	3.0	2.00
PCI Express lanes	40	40

Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	14.34	5.75
Recency	8 September 2014	14 November 2011
Physical cores	18	6
Threads	36	12
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	145 Watt	130 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5-2696 V3 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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