i7-990X Extreme Edition vs i7-2600K
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1555 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.47 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7 (Desktop) | Intel Core i7EE |
| Power efficiency | 3.44 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Westmere (2010−2011) |
| Release date | 9 January 2011 (13 years ago) | 13 February 2011 (13 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $317 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X 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) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 8 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 3.4 GHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | 3.8 GHz | 3.46 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | QPI |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 6.4 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 26 |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | no data |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 1.5 MB |
| L3 cache | 8 MB (shared) | 12 MB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 216 mm2 | 239 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 73 °C | no data |
| Number of transistors | 1,160 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X 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 | LGA1155 | no data |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 130 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X 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 | + | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | no data |
| Idle States | + | no data |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | - |
| Flex Memory Access | + | no data |
| FDI | + | no data |
| Fast Memory Access | + | no data |
Security technologies
Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | no data |
| EDB | + | no data |
| Identity Protection | + | - |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X 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 i7-2600K and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | no data |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB | 24 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 21 GB/s | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD Graphics 3000 | no data |
| Quick Sync Video | + | - |
| Clear Video HD | + | no data |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.35 GHz | no data |
| InTru 3D | + | no data |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 2 | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 9 January 2011 | 13 February 2011 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 6 |
| Threads | 8 | 12 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 130 Watt |
i7-2600K has 36.8% lower power consumption.
i7-990X Extreme Edition, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 month, and 50% more physical cores and 50% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2600K and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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