Core i7-3910K vs Xeon E5520

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1973	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.58	no data
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Architecture codename	Gainestown (2009−2010)	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)
Release date	March 2009 (15 years ago)	24 July 2013 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$19	no data
Current price	$70 (3.7x MSRP)	$618

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K 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	4 (Quad-Core)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	8	12
Base clock speed	2.26 GHz	3 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.53 GHz	3.6 GHz
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	12 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	45 nm	32 nm
Die size	263 mm2	435 mm2
Maximum core temperature	72 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	67 °C
Number of transistors	731 million	2,270 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K 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
Socket	FCLGA1366	2011
Power consumption (TDP)	80 Watt	130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	no data	+
AVX	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	+	no data
PAE	40 Bit	no data
Status	Discontinued	no data

Security technologies

Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	no data
EDB	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	144 GB	no data
Max memory channels	3	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	+	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K.

PCIe version

no data

3.0

Pros & cons summary

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Physical cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Chip lithography	45 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	80 Watt	130 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5520 and Core i7-3910K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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