i7-6950X Extreme Edition vs i5-3550

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1626	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.48	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i5 (Desktop)	Intel Core i7EE
Power efficiency	3.72	no data
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
Release date	29 April 2012 (12 years ago)	no data (2024 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$205	$1,743

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X 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	4 (Quad-Core)	10 (Deca-Core)
Threads	4	20
Base clock speed	3.3 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	3.7 GHz	3 GHz
Bus type	no data	DMI 2.0
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
Multiplier	no data	30
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256K (per core)	2.5 MB
L3 cache	6 MB (shared)	25 MB
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Die size	160 mm2	246 mm2
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	67 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,400 million	3400 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X 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	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCLGA1155	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	77 Watt	140 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	-	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
FDI	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	no data
EDB	+	no data
Secure Key	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	-
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	no data
Maximum memory size	32 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 2500	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.15 GHz	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

3

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition.

PCIe version	3.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	40

Pros & cons summary

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Physical cores	4	10
Threads	4	20
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	77 Watt	140 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-3550 and Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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