Core 2 Quad Q9650 vs Core i7-3820

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Aggregate performance score

Core i7-3820
2012
4 cores / 8 threads, 130 Watt
3.63
+133%
Core 2 Quad Q9650
2008
4 cores / 4 threads, 95 Watt
1.56

Core i7-3820 outperforms Core 2 Quad Q9650 by a whopping 133% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking15032123
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation2.32no data
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Power efficiency2.641.55
Architecture codenameSandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)Yorkfield (2007−2009)
Release dateFebruary 2012 (12 years ago)August 2008 (16 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$400no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650 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 cores4 (Quad-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads84
Base clock speed3.6 GHz3 GHz
Boost clock speed3.8 GHz3 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/s1333 MHz
L1 cache64 KB (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)6 MB (per die)
L3 cache10240 KB (shared)0 KB
Chip lithography32 nm45 nm
Die size294 mm22x 107 mm2
Maximum core temperatureno data71 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)67 °Cno data
Number of transistors1270 million820 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
VID voltage rangeno data0.85V-1.3625V

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650 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 configuration11
SocketFCLGA2011LGA775
Power consumption (TDP)130 Watt95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVXno data
AES-NI+-
AVX+-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Turbo Boost Technology2.0-
Hyper-Threading Technology+-
Idle States++
Thermal Monitoring++
Smart Response+no data
Demand Based Switching--
FSB parityno data-

Security technologies

Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-+
EDB++
Identity Protection+-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR1, DDR2, DDR3
Maximum memory size64.23 GBno data
Max memory channels4no data
Maximum memory bandwidth51.2 GB/sno data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650.

PCIe version2.0no data
PCI Express lanes40no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i7-3820 3.63
+133%
Core 2 Quad Q9650 1.56

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i7-3820 5771
+133%
Core 2 Quad Q9650 2479

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i7-3820 622
+65%
Core 2 Quad Q9650 377

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i7-3820 2289
+117%
Core 2 Quad Q9650 1055

3DMark Fire Strike Physics

i7-3820 6240
+28.7%
Core 2 Quad Q9650 4850

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 3.63 1.56
Threads 8 4
Chip lithography 32 nm 45 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 130 Watt 95 Watt

i7-3820 has a 132.7% higher aggregate performance score, 100% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.

Core 2 Quad Q9650, on the other hand, has 36.8% lower power consumption.

The Core i7-3820 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core 2 Quad Q9650 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3820 and Core 2 Quad Q9650, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i7-3820
Core i7-3820
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650
Core 2 Quad Q9650

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i7-3820 or Core 2 Quad Q9650, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.