i7-2960XM Extreme vs i7-2660M
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | not rated | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i7 | Intel Core i7EE |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| Release date | no data | 4 September 2011 (13 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $1,096 |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme 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 | 2 (Dual-core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 8 |
| Boost clock speed | 2.9 GHz | 2.7 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | DMI 2.0 |
| Bus rate | 4 × 5 GT/s | 4 × 5 GT/s |
| Multiplier | 29 | 27 |
| L1 cache | 128 KB | 256 KB |
| L2 cache | 512 KB | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 4 MB | 8 MB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | no data | 216 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 624 Million | 1160 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme 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) | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | Socket G2 | Socket G2 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 55 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| FMA | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
Security technologies
Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3-1333 | DDR3-1600 |
| Maximum memory size | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 21.335 GB/s | 25.598 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD Graphics 3000 | Intel HD Graphics 3000 |
Pros & cons summary
| Physical cores | 2 | 4 |
| Threads | 4 | 8 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 55 Watt |
i7-2660M has 57.1% lower power consumption.
i7-2960XM Extreme, on the other hand, has 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2660M and Core i7-2960XM Extreme, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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