Core 2 Duo E8400 vs Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition outperforms Core 2 Duo E8400 by a whopping 689% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1113 | 2667 |
| 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 | 1.07 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Wolfdale (2008−2010) |
| Release date | 12 November 2012 (12 years ago) | 1 January 2008 (16 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400 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) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 12 | 2 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 3 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 1333 MHz |
| Multiplier | 35 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 6 MB (shared) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | no data | 104 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 410 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.85V-1.3625V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400 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 | LGA775 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | - |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
| FSB parity | no data | - |
Security technologies
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 |
| 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 Core 2 Duo E8400.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
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.
3DMark Fire Strike Physics
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.92 | 0.75 |
| Recency | 12 November 2012 | 1 January 2008 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 2 |
| Threads | 12 | 2 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 65 Watt |
i7-3970X Extreme Edition has a 689.3% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 years, 200% more physical cores and 500% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
Core 2 Duo E8400, on the other hand, has 130.8% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the Core 2 Duo E8400 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core 2 Duo E8400, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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