Xeon E5-2678 v3 vs i9-7960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	334	827
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	3.27	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Intel Core i9	Xeon
Power efficiency	10.41	7.31
Architecture codename	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Haswell (2013−2015)
Release date	1 September 2017 (7 years ago)	2015 (9 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,699	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3 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	16 (Hexadeca-Core)	12 (Dodeca-Core)
Threads	32	24
Base clock speed	2.8 GHz	2.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.4 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus type	DMI 3.0	no data
Bus rate	4 × 8 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	384 KB
L2 cache	1 MB (per core)	3072 KB
L3 cache	22 MB (shared)	30 MB
Chip lithography	14 nm	22 nm
Die size	484 mm2	356 mm2
Maximum core temperature	98 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	84 °C
Number of transistors	no data	5,560 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3 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)	2
Socket	FCLGA2066	LGA2011-3
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	120 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
TSX	+	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	+
EDB	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4-2666	DDR3, DDR4
Maximum memory size	128 GB	no data
Max memory channels	4	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	85.33 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

N/A

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3.

PCIe version	3.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	44	40

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.

---

Pros & cons summary

---

Performance score	18.17	9.27
Physical cores	16	12
Threads	32	24
Chip lithography	14 nm	22 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	120 Watt

---

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-7960X and Xeon E5-2678 v3, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.

---