A8-6600K vs i7-3970X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1164	1964
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.55	0.23
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	no data	AMD A-Series (Desktop)
Power efficiency	3.38	1.79
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	Richland (2013−2014)
Release date	1 November 2012 (12 years ago)	1 June 2013 (11 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$593	$142

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-3970X has 139% better value for money than A8-6600K.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K 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)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	12	4
Base clock speed	3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	4.2 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	192 KB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	4096 KB
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	0 KB
Chip lithography	32 nm	32 nm
Die size	435 mm2	246 mm2
Maximum core temperature	no data	74 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	70 °C	74 °C
Number of transistors	2,270 million	1,178 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K 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	FM2
Power consumption (TDP)	150 Watt	100 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	no data
AES-NI	+	+
FMA	-	FMA4
AVX	+	AVX
PowerNow	-	+
PowerGating	-	+
VirusProtect	-	+
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 i7-3970X and A8-6600K 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 i7-3970X and A8-6600K are enumerated here.

AMD-V	-	+
VT-d	+	no data
VT-x	+	no data
EPT	+	no data
IOMMU 2.0	-	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3-1866
Maximum memory size	64.45 GB	no data
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	no data	AMD Radeon HD 8570D
Number of pipelines	no data	256
Enduro	-	+
Switchable graphics	-	+
UVD	-	+
VCE	-	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K integrated GPUs.

DisplayPort	-	+
HDMI	-	+

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX

no data

DirectX® 11

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K.

PCIe version	2.0	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.

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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	5.38	1.90
Recency	1 November 2012	1 June 2013
Physical cores	6	4
Threads	12	4
Power consumption (TDP)	150 Watt	100 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X and A8-6600K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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