Ryzen 5 1600 vs i7-3970X

VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-3970X
2012
6 cores / 12 threads, 150 Watt
5.36
Ryzen 5 1600
2017
6 cores / 12 threads, 65 Watt
7.73
+44.2%

Ryzen 5 1600 outperforms Core i7-3970X by a considerable 44% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3970X and Ryzen 5 1600 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1176963
Place by popularitynot in top-10055
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.624.58
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Seriesno dataAMD Ryzen 5
Power efficiency3.3811.25
Architecture codenameSandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)Zen 2 (2017−2020)
Release date1 November 2012 (12 years ago)16 March 2017 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$593$219

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 5 1600 has 639% better value for money than i7-3970X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3970X and Ryzen 5 1600 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 cores6 (Hexa-Core)6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads1212
Base clock speed3.5 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost clock speed4 GHz3.2 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/s4 × 8 GT/s
Multiplierno data32
L1 cache64 KB (per core)576 KB
L2 cache256 KB (per core)3 MB
L3 cache15 MB (shared)16 MB (shared)
Chip lithography32 nm14 nm
Die size435 mm2213 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)70 °Cno data
Number of transistors2,270 million4800 Million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3970X and Ryzen 5 1600 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 configuration11 (Uniprocessor)
SocketFCLGA2011AM4
Power consumption (TDP)150 Watt65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X and Ryzen 5 1600. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVXXFR, FMA3, SSE 4.2, AVX2, SMT
AES-NI++
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no 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 Ryzen 5 1600 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 Ryzen 5 1600 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X and Ryzen 5 1600. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4
Maximum memory size64.45 GB64 GB
Max memory channels42
Maximum memory bandwidth51.2 GB/s42.671 GB/s
ECC memory support-+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X and Ryzen 5 1600.

PCIe version2.03.0
PCI Express lanes4020

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.

i7-3970X 5.36
Ryzen 5 1600 7.73
+44.2%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i7-3970X 8516
Ryzen 5 1600 12277
+44.2%

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i7-3970X 729
Ryzen 5 1600 1084
+48.7%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i7-3970X 3688
Ryzen 5 1600 4643
+25.9%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 5.36 7.73
Recency 1 November 2012 16 March 2017
Chip lithography 32 nm 14 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 150 Watt 65 Watt

Ryzen 5 1600 has a 44.2% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 years, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 130.8% lower power consumption.

The Ryzen 5 1600 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3970X in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X and Ryzen 5 1600, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i7-3970X
Core i7-3970X
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Ryzen 5 1600

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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