i5-8420 vs i7-3970X Extreme Edition
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1115 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | Intel Core i5 |
| Power efficiency | 3.67 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) |
| Release date | 12 November 2012 (12 years ago) | 1 September 2018 (6 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420 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) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 6 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.9 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 4.1 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | DMI 3.0 |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 4 × 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | 35 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 384 KB |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 1.5 MB |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 9 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | no data | 126 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 72 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420 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 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | no data | 1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420 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 i5-8420. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 42.671 GB/s |
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 i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 12 November 2012 | 1 September 2018 |
| Threads | 12 | 6 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 65 Watt |
i7-3970X Extreme Edition has 100% more threads.
i5-8420, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 5 years, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 130.8% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-8420, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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