The Core i3-540 is a much slower gaming CPU than the Core i7-3970X, it's also the same value for money, as it's only $76.05 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i3-540
- Up to 43% cheaper – $98.95 vs $175.00
- Consumes up to 51% less energy – 73 vs 150 Watts
- Can run games without a dedicated GPU as it has integrated graphics
Advantages of the Core i7-3970X
- At least 2x faster CPU for gaming
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 12 vs 4 threads
Core i3-540 vs Core i7-3970X for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Average FPS
166
97%
Min 1% FPS
112
97%
Price, $
$98.95
100%
Value, $/FPS
$0.59/FPS
100%
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Average FPS
172
100%
Min 1% FPS
115
100%
Price, $
$175
56%
Value, $/FPS
$1.01/FPS
58%
Core i3-540 vs Core i7-3970X in My Games
The FPS you'll get in saved games, click on a game to change it
The FPS you'll get in saved games, click on a game to change it
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Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i3-540 vs Core i7-3970X in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i3-540 vs Core i7-3970X in core CPU performance specifications
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Cores
2-core
33%
L3 Cache
4 MB
27%
Base Frequency
3.07 GHz
88%
Turbo Frequency
GHz
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1333 MHz
83%
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Cores
6-core
100%
L3 Cache
15 MB
100%
Base Frequency
3.5 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
4 GHz
100%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1600 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i3-540 | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i7-3970X |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Jan 7th, 2010 | Release Date | Nov 1st, 2012 |
$133.00 | MSRP | $990.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1156 | Socket | Intel Socket 2011 |
| Clarkdale | Codename | Sandy Bridge E |
73 W | Power Consumption | 150 W |
| Performance | ||
| 2 | Cores | 6 |
| 4 | Threads | 12 |
| 3.1 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.5 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Frequency | 4.0 GHz |
| 4 MB | L3 Cache | 15 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1333 MHz | RAM | DDR3 @ 1600 MHz |
Intel HD | Integrated Graphics | No |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
