Xeon 6979P vs i7-3970X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1176	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.62	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Power efficiency	3.38	no data
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	Granite Rapids (2024)
Release date	1 November 2012 (12 years ago)	24 September 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$593	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P 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)	120
Threads	12	240
Base clock speed	3.5 GHz	2.1 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.9 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	112 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	504 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	5 nm
Die size	435 mm2	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	70 °C	80 °C
Number of transistors	2,270 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P 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	2
Socket	FCLGA2011	7529
Power consumption (TDP)	150 Watt	500 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5
Maximum memory size	64.45 GB	no data
Max memory channels	4	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P.

PCIe version	2.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	40	96

Pros & cons summary

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Recency	1 November 2012	24 September 2024
Physical cores	6	120
Threads	12	240
Chip lithography	32 nm	5 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	150 Watt	500 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X and Xeon 6979P, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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