The Core i5-6400 is a clear winner – it's at least 2x faster gaming CPU than the Core i7-3970X and it's also a much better value for money, as it's $120.01 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i5-6400
- At least 2x faster CPU for gaming
- Up to 68% cheaper – $56.85 vs $176.86
- A much better value for money for gaming
- Consumes up to 57% less energy – 65 vs 150 Watts
- Has an integrated GPU, while the Core i7-3970X cannot run games without a dedicated GPU
Advantages of the Core i7-3970X
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 12 vs 4 threads
Core i5-6400 vs Core i7-3970X for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i5-6400
Jul 2nd, 2015
Average FPS
180
100%
Min 1% FPS
120
100%
Price, $
$56.85
100%
Value, $/FPS
$0.31/FPS
100%
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Average FPS
172
96%
Min 1% FPS
115
96%
Price, $
$176.86
32%
Value, $/FPS
$1.02/FPS
30%
Core i5-6400 vs Core i7-3970X in My Games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
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Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i5-6400 vs Core i7-3970X in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i5-6400 vs Core i7-3970X in core CPU performance specifications
Core i5-6400
Jul 2nd, 2015
Cores
4-core
67%
L3 Cache
6 MB
40%
Base Frequency
2.7 GHz
77%
Turbo Frequency
3.3 GHz
82%
Max. DDR4 RAM Speed
2133 MHz
100%
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
75%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i5-6400 | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i7-3970X |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
Jul 2nd, 2015 | Release Date | Nov 1st, 2012 |
$182.00 | MSRP | $990.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1151 | Socket | Intel Socket 2011 |
| Skylake | Codename | Sandy Bridge E |
65 W | Power Consumption | 150 W |
| Performance | ||
| 4 | Cores | 6 |
| 4 | Threads | 12 |
| 2.7 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.5 GHz |
| 3.3 GHz | Turbo Frequency | 4.0 GHz |
| 6 MB | L3 Cache | 15 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR4 @ 2133 MHz | RAM | DDR3 @ 1600 MHz |
HD Graphics 530 | Integrated Graphics | No |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
