i3-8000 vs i7-3960X
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1172 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.37 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Core i7 (Desktop) | Intel Core i3 |
| Power efficiency | 3.87 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (13 years ago) | 1 September 2018 (6 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $861 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000 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 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.9 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | DMI 3.0 |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 4 × 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 36 |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 64K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 435 mm2 | 126 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 67 °C | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2,270 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000 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 | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | FCLGA2011 | 1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX | no data |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | no data |
| Idle States | + | no data |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | - |
| Smart Response | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | no data |
Security technologies
Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | no data |
| EDB | + | no data |
| Identity Protection | + | - |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR4 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | 4 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 38.397 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | + |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel UHD Graphics 630 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 1 September 2018 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
i7-3960X has 50% more physical cores and 200% more threads.
i3-8000, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 6 years, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 100% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X and Core i3-8000, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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