i7-3960X Extreme Edition vs i9-9900KF

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	674	1141
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	8.18	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i9	Intel Core i7EE
Power efficiency	11.45	4.07
Architecture codename	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	7 January 2019 (5 years ago)	14 November 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$488	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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	8 (Octa-Core)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	16	12
Base clock speed	3.6 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	5 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus type	DMI 3.0	DMI 2.0
Bus rate	4 × 8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Multiplier	no data	33
L1 cache	512 KB	no data
L2 cache	2 MB	1,536 KB
L3 cache	16 MB (shared)	15 MB
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Die size	no data	434.72 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	2270 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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)	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCLGA1151	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	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	+	-

Security technologies

Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	no data
EDB	+	no data
Secure Key	+	no data
MPX	+	-
Identity Protection	+	-
SGX	Yes with Intel® ME	no data
OS Guard	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4-2666	no data
Maximum memory size	128 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	42.671 GB/s	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-9900KF and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

PCIe version	3.0	2.00
PCI Express lanes	16	40

Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	11.54	5.61
Recency	7 January 2019	14 November 2011
Physical cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	130 Watt

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