EPYC 7H12 vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition

Place in the ranking	1123	46
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Intel Core i7EE	AMD EPYC
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Zen 2 (2017−2020)
Release date	14 November 2011 (12 years ago)	18 September 2019 (5 years ago)

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12 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)	64 (Tetrahexaconta-Core)
Threads	12	128
Base clock speed	no data	2.6 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.3 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus type	DMI 2.0	no data
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
Multiplier	33	26
L1 cache	no data	96K (per core)
L2 cache	1,536 KB	512K (per core)
L3 cache	15 MB	256 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm, 14 nm
Die size	434.72 mm²	192 mm²
Number of transistors	2270 Million	4,800 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12 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)	2 (Multiprocessor)
Socket	no data	TR4
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	280 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Precision Boost 2	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12 are enumerated here.

AMD-V

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	no data	DDR4 Eight-channel
Maximum memory size	64 GB	4 TiB
Max memory channels	no data	8
Maximum memory bandwidth	no data	204.763 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12.

PCIe version	2.00	no data
PCI Express lanes	40	no data

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	5.82	45.60
Recency	14 November 2011	18 September 2019
Physical cores	6	64
Threads	12	128
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	280 Watt

i7-3960X Extreme Edition has 115.4% lower power consumption.

EPYC 7H12, on the other hand, has a 683.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 7 years, 966.7% more physical cores and 966.7% more threads, and a 357.1% more advanced lithography process.

The EPYC 7H12 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition in performance tests.

Note that Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is a desktop processor while EPYC 7H12 is a server/workstation one.

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and EPYC 7H12, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.