A9-9420e vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition outperforms A9-9420e by a whopping 711% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1387 | 3008 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | AMD Bristol Ridge |
| Power efficiency | 4.15 | no data |
| Designer | Intel | AMD |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (14 years ago) | 1 June 2018 (7 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and A9-9420e 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) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 12 | 2 |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | 33 | no data |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | no data |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 28 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | 124.5 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 90 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | 1200 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and A9-9420e 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) | no data |
| Socket | no data | BGA |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 1 MB |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and A9-9420e. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Virtualization, |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and A9-9420e are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and A9-9420e. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | AMD Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge) |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and A9-9420e.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.03 | 0.62 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 1 June 2018 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 2 |
| Threads | 12 | 2 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 28 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 1 Watt |
i7-3960X Extreme Edition has a 711.3% higher aggregate performance score, and 200% more physical cores and 500% more threads.
A9-9420e, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 6 years, a 14.3% more advanced lithography process, and 12900% lower power consumption.
The Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the AMD A9-9420e in performance tests.
Note that Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is a desktop processor while A9-9420e is a notebook one.
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