The Core i5-3550 is the comparison's loser – it's a slightly slower gaming CPU than the Core i7-3960X and it's also a slightly worse value for money, as it's $2.14 more expensive!
Advantages of the Core i5-3550
- Consumes up to 41% less energy – 77 vs 130 Watts
- Can run games without a dedicated GPU as it has integrated graphics
Advantages of the Core i7-3960X
- A slightly faster CPU for gaming
- Up to 1% cheaper – $323.56 vs $325.70
- A slightly better value for money for gaming
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 12 vs 4 threads
Core i5-3550 vs Core i7-3960X for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i5-3550
Apr 29th, 2012
Average FPS
191
100%
Min 1% FPS
134
100%
Price, $
$325.7
99%
Value, $/FPS
$1.7/FPS
99%
Core i7-3960X
Nov 14th, 2011
Average FPS
191
100%
Min 1% FPS
134
100%
Price, $
$323.56
100%
Value, $/FPS
$1.69/FPS
100%
Core i5-3550 vs Core i7-3960X 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 i5-3550 vs Core i7-3960X in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i5-3550 vs Core i7-3960X in core CPU performance specifications
Core i5-3550
Apr 29th, 2012
Cores
4-core
67%
L3 Cache
6 MB
40%
Base Frequency
3.3 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
3.7 GHz
95%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1600 MHz
100%
Core i7-3960X
Nov 14th, 2011
Cores
6-core
100%
L3 Cache
15 MB
100%
Base Frequency
3.3 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
3.9 GHz
100%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1600 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i5-3550 | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i7-3960X |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
Apr 29th, 2012 | Release Date | Nov 14th, 2011 |
$194.00 | MSRP | $990.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1155 | Socket | Intel Socket 2011 |
| Ivy Bridge | Codename | Sandy Bridge-E |
77 W | Power Consumption | 130 W |
| Performance | ||
| 4 | Cores | 6 |
| 4 | Threads | 12 |
| 3.3 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.3 GHz |
| 3.7 GHz | Turbo Frequency | 3.9 GHz |
| 6 MB | L3 Cache | 15 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1600 MHz | RAM | DDR3 @ 1600 MHz |
Intel HD 2500 | Integrated Graphics | No |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
