Xeon w5-3425 vs i7-3960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1170	221
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.37	52.53
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Power efficiency	3.87	8.14
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
Release date	14 November 2011 (13 years ago)	15 February 2023 (1 year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$861	$1,189

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon w5-3425 has 14097% better value for money than i7-3960X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425 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	3.2 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.9 GHz	4.6 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	80 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	30 MB
Chip lithography	32 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	435 mm2	4x 477 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 Xeon w5-3425 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
Socket	FCLGA2011	FCLGA4677
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	270 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® AMX, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	+
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Identity Protection	+	-
SGX	no data	-
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5-4800
Maximum memory size	64 GB	4 TB
Max memory channels	4	8
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425.

PCIe version	2.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	40	112

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	5.32	23.21
Recency	14 November 2011	15 February 2023
Physical cores	6	12
Threads	12	24
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	270 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X and Xeon w5-3425, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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