i7-960 vs Ryzen 9 5900

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Aggregate performance score

Ryzen 9 5900
2021
12 cores / 24 threads, 65 Watt
21.63
+925%
Core i7-960
2009
4 cores / 8 threads, 130 Watt
2.11

Ryzen 9 5900 outperforms Core i7-960 by a whopping 925% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking2461880
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluationno data0.17
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesAMD Ryzen 9Core i7 (Desktop)
Power efficiency31.471.54
Architecture codenameVermeer (2020−2024)Bloomfield (2008−2010)
Release date12 January 2021 (3 years ago)20 October 2009 (15 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)no data$316

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960 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 cores12 (Dodeca-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads248
Base clock speed3 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost clock speed4.7 GHz3.46 GHz
Bus rateno data1333 MHz
Multiplier30no data
L1 cache64K (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache512K (per core)256 KB (per core)
L3 cache64 MB8 MB (shared)
Chip lithography7 nm, 12 nm45 nm
Die size81 mm2263 mm2
Maximum core temperatureno data68 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)95 °Cno data
Number of transistors4,150 million731 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility+-
Unlocked multiplier+-

Compatibility

Information on Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960 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
SocketAM4FCLGA1366
Power consumption (TDP)65 Watt130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsno dataIntel® SSE4.2
AES-NI+-
AVX+-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)no data+
Turbo Boost Technologyno data1.0
Hyper-Threading Technologyno data+
Idle Statesno data+
Demand Based Switchingno data-
PAEno data36 Bit

Security technologies

Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXTno data+
EDBno data+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960 are enumerated here.

AMD-V+-
VT-xno data+
EPTno data+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4-3200DDR3
Maximum memory size128 GB24 GB
Max memory channelsno data3
Maximum memory bandwidth51.196 GB/s25.6 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card-N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960.

PCIe version4.02.0

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 21.63
+925%
i7-960 2.11

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 34361
+925%
i7-960 3351

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 2142
+338%
i7-960 489

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.

Ryzen 9 5900 11070
+569%
i7-960 1654

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 21.63 2.11
Recency 12 January 2021 20 October 2009
Physical cores 12 4
Threads 24 8
Chip lithography 7 nm 45 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 65 Watt 130 Watt

Ryzen 9 5900 has a 925.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 11 years, 200% more physical cores and 200% more threads, a 542.9% more advanced lithography process, and 100% lower power consumption.

The Ryzen 9 5900 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-960 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen 9 5900 and Core i7-960, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Ryzen 9 5900
Intel Core i7-960
Core i7-960

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Ryzen 9 5900 or Core i7-960, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.