i7-3960X vs Xeon E5-1660 v2

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1045	1170
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.92	0.37
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Series	no data	Core i7 (Desktop)
Power efficiency	4.70	3.87
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)
Release date	1 September 2013 (11 years ago)	14 November 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,809	$861

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon E5-1660 v2 has 149% better value for money than i7-3960X.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X 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	6 (Hexa-Core)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	12	12
Base clock speed	3.7 GHz	3.3 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.9 GHz
Bus rate	0 GT/s	5 GT/s
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	15 MB (shared)	15 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Die size	160 mm2	435 mm2
Maximum core temperature	70 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	67 °C
Number of transistors	1,400 million	2,270 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X 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	1
Socket	FCLGA2011	FCLGA2011
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	130 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	-	no data
Smart Response	no data	+
Demand Based Switching	+	-
PAE	46 Bit	no data

Security technologies

Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	no data
Identity Protection	-	+
OS Guard	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	256 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	4	4
Maximum memory bandwidth	59.7 GB/s	51.2 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	40	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	6.46	5.32
Recency	1 September 2013	14 November 2011
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm

---

Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Core i7-3960X, 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.

---