Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 vs i7-3960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3960X and Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1170	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.37	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	AMD Strix Point (Zen 5/5c, Ryzen AI 3/5/7/9)
Power efficiency	3.87	no data
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	Strix Point-HX (Zen 5) (2024)
Release date	14 November 2011 (13 years ago)	4 June 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$861	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3960X and Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 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)	12 (Dodeca-Core)
Threads	12	24
Base clock speed	3.3 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	3.9 GHz	5.1 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	no data
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	36 MB
Chip lithography	32 nm	3 nm
Die size	435 mm2	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	67 °C	no data
Number of transistors	2,270 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3960X and Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 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	no data
Socket	FCLGA2011	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	55 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and Ryzen AI 9 HX 170. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	XDNA 2 NPU
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
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 Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 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 Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and Ryzen AI 9 HX 170. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	no data
Maximum memory size	64 GB	no data
Max memory channels	4	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and Ryzen AI 9 HX 170.

PCIe version	2.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	40	no data

Pros & cons summary

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Recency	14 November 2011	4 June 2024
Physical cores	6	12
Threads	12	24
Chip lithography	32 nm	3 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	55 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X and Ryzen AI 9 HX 170, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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