Athlon 64 FX-55 vs i7-3970X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition outperforms Athlon 64 FX-55 by a whopping 2224% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Athlon 64 FX-55 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1117 | 3147 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | no data |
| Power efficiency | 3.67 | 0.23 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Clawhammer (2001−2005) |
| Release date | 12 November 2012 (12 years ago) | 10 October 2004 (20 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $180 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Athlon 64 FX-55 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) | 1 (Single-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 1 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 2.6 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | 35 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 128 KB |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 130 nm |
| Die size | no data | 193 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 63 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 105 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Athlon 64 FX-55 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 | 939 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 104 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Athlon 64 FX-55. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Athlon 64 FX-55. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR1 Depends on motherboard |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | On certain motherboards (Chipset feature) |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Athlon 64 FX-55.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.81 | 0.25 |
| Recency | 12 November 2012 | 10 October 2004 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 1 |
| Threads | 12 | 1 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 130 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 104 Watt |
i7-3970X Extreme Edition has a 2224% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 8 years, 500% more physical cores and 1100% more threads, and a 306.3% more advanced lithography process.
Athlon 64 FX-55, on the other hand, has 44.2% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the Athlon 64 FX-55 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Athlon 64 FX-55, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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