Xeon E3-1220 v6 vs Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Primary details

Comparing Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	65	1554
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	16.23	4.08
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	AMD Ryzen Threadripper	Intel Xeon E3
Power efficiency	13.42	4.55
Architecture codename	Matisse (2019−2020)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
Release date	7 November 2019 (5 years ago)	28 March 2017 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,999	$193

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X has 298% better value for money than Xeon E3-1220 v6.

Detailed specifications

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 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	32 (Dotriaconta-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	64	4
Base clock speed	3.7 GHz	3 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.5 GHz	3.5 GHz
Bus type	no data	DMI 3.0
Bus rate	8 × 16 GT/s	8 GT/s
Multiplier	37	30
L1 cache	2 MB	256 KB
L2 cache	16 MB	1 MB
L3 cache	128 MB	8 MB
Chip lithography	7 nm, 12 nm	14 nm
Number of transistors	23540 Million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 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	TR4	FCLGA1151
Power consumption (TDP)	280 Watt	72 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	no data	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	no data	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	no data	-
TSX	-	+
Idle States	no data	+
Thermal Monitoring	-	+
Precision Boost 2	+	no data

Security technologies

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	+
EDB	no data	+
Secure Key	no data	+
MPX	-	+
SGX	no data	Yes with both Intel® SPS and Intel® ME
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 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 Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4 Eight-channel	DDR4-2400, DDR3L-1866
Maximum memory size	256 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	102.403 GB/s	38.397 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Clear Video	-	-
Clear Video HD	-	-
InTru 3D	-	-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

-

no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	-	-
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	-	N/A
Max resolution over eDP	-	N/A
Max resolution over DisplayPort	-	N/A
Max resolution over VGA	-	N/A

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	-	N/A
OpenGL	-	N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6.

PCIe version	no data	3.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	39.70	3.46
Recency	7 November 2019	28 March 2017
Physical cores	32	4
Threads	64	4
Chip lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	280 Watt	72 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Xeon E3-1220 v6, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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