i5-12500E vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i5-12500E outperforms Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition by a whopping 133% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1142 | 573 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | no data |
| Power efficiency | 4.07 | 18.97 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Alder Lake-S (2022) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (13 years ago) | January 2022 (2 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E 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) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.9 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 4.5 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | 33 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 80K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 18 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 10 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | 163 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E 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 |
| Socket | no data | 1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| TSX | - | + |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 20 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.59 | 13.03 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
i5-12500E has a 133.1% higher aggregate performance score, a 220% more advanced lithography process, and 100% lower power consumption.
The Core i5-12500E is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12500E, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
