Ryzen 5 1500X vs i7-4960X

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-4960X
2013
6 cores / 12 threads, 130 Watt
6.32
+10.3%
Ryzen 5 1500X
2017
4 cores / 8 threads, 65 Watt
5.73

Core i7-4960X outperforms Ryzen 5 1500X by a moderate 10% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking10681138
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.513.13
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesIntel Core i7 (Desktop)AMD Ryzen 5
Power efficiency4.608.34
Architecture codenameIvy Bridge-E (2013)Zen (2017−2020)
Release date3 September 2013 (11 years ago)11 April 2017 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$999$189

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 5 1500X has 514% better value for money than i7-4960X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X 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)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads128
Base clock speed3.6 GHz3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed4 GHz3.7 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/s4 × 8 GT/s
Multiplierno data35
L1 cache64K (per core)96K (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)512K (per core)
L3 cache15 MB (shared)16 MB (shared)
Chip lithography22 nm14 nm
Die size257 mm2192 mm2
Maximum core temperature67 °Cno data
Number of transistors1,860 million4,800 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X 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)130 Watt65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X. 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 i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X 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 i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X 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 i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4
Maximum memory size64 GB64 GB
Max memory channels42
Maximum memory bandwidth59.7 GB/s42.671 GB/s
ECC memory support-+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X.

PCIe version3.03.0
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.

i7-4960X 6.32
+10.3%
Ryzen 5 1500X 5.73

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.

i7-4960X 10042
+10.4%
Ryzen 5 1500X 9097

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.

i7-4960X 702
Ryzen 5 1500X 1114
+58.7%

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.

i7-4960X 3464
Ryzen 5 1500X 3688
+6.5%

3DMark06 CPU

3DMark06 is a discontinued DirectX 9 benchmark suite from Futuremark. Its CPU part contains two scenarios, one dedicated to artificial intelligence pathfinding, another to game physics using PhysX package.

i7-4960X 8743
+18.1%
Ryzen 5 1500X 7403

wPrime 32

wPrime 32M is a math multi-thread processor test, which calculates square roots of first 32 million integer numbers. Its result is measured in seconds, so that the less is benchmark result, the faster the processor.

i7-4960X 4.56
+51.3%
Ryzen 5 1500X 6.9

Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 11.5 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R11.5 which uses all the processor threads. A maximum of 64 threads is supported in this version.

i7-4960X 11
+25.5%
Ryzen 5 1500X 9

Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 15 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R15 which uses all the processor threads.

i7-4960X 1076
+33.7%
Ryzen 5 1500X 805

Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core

Cinebench R15 (standing for Release 15) is a benchmark made by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version (sometimes called Single-Thread) only uses a single processor thread to render a room full of reflective spheres and light sources.

i7-4960X 144
Ryzen 5 1500X 154
+6.9%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 6.32 5.73
Recency 3 September 2013 11 April 2017
Physical cores 6 4
Threads 12 8
Chip lithography 22 nm 14 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 130 Watt 65 Watt

i7-4960X has a 10.3% higher aggregate performance score, and 50% more physical cores and 50% more threads.

Ryzen 5 1500X, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 3 years, a 57.1% more advanced lithography process, and 100% lower power consumption.

The Core i7-4960X is our recommended choice as it beats the Ryzen 5 1500X in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4960X and Ryzen 5 1500X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i7-4960X
Core i7-4960X
AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Ryzen 5 1500X

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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