Xeon E3-1278L v4 vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1140 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | no data |
| Power efficiency | 4.07 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Broadwell-DT (2015) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (12 years ago) | 2 June 2015 (9 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4 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) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 8 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2 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 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 64K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 6 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | 182 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | no data |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4 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 | Intel BGA 1364 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 47 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4 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 Xeon E3-1278L v4 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 Xeon E3-1278L v4. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3-1600 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel Iris Pro P6300 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 2 June 2015 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 8 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 47 Watt |
i7-3960X Extreme Edition has 50% more physical cores and 50% more threads.
Xeon E3-1278L v4, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 3 years, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 176.6% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4. We've got no test results to judge.
Note that Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is a desktop processor while Xeon E3-1278L v4 is a server/workstation one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Xeon E3-1278L v4, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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