Ryzen Threadripper 7970X vs Xeon X5660

Primary details

Comparing Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1469	14
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	3.05	20.74
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Power efficiency	3.78	16.80
Architecture codename	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)	Storm Peak (2023)
Release date	16 March 2010 (14 years ago)	19 October 2023 (1 year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$33	$2,499

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X has 580% better value for money than Xeon X5660.

Detailed specifications

Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X 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)	32 (Dotriaconta-Core)
Threads	12	64
Base clock speed	2.8 GHz	4 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.2 GHz	5.3 GHz
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
L3 cache	12 MB (shared)	128 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	5 nm
Die size	239 mm2	4x 71 mm2
Maximum core temperature	81 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,170 million	26,280 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X 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	2	1
Socket	FCLGA1366,LGA1366	sTR5
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	350 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	-	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	+	no data
PAE	40 Bit	no data
Precision Boost 2	no data	+

Security technologies

Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X 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 Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X 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 Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5
Maximum memory size	288 GB	no data
Max memory channels	3	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	32 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X.

PCIe version	2.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	48

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	3.79	62.13
Recency	16 March 2010	19 October 2023
Physical cores	6	32
Threads	12	64
Chip lithography	32 nm	5 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	350 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon X5660 and Ryzen Threadripper 7970X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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