The Core i7-2600S is a clear winner – it's a slightly faster gaming CPU than the Core i7-3970X and it's also a much better value for money, as it's $126.98 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i7-2600S
- A slightly faster CPU for gaming
- Up to 73% cheaper – $48.02 vs $175.00
- A much better value for money for gaming
- Consumes up to 57% less energy – 65 vs 150 Watts
- Can run games without a dedicated GPU as it has integrated graphics
Advantages of the Core i7-3970X
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 12 vs 8 threads
Core i7-2600S vs Core i7-3970X for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i7-2600S
Jan 9th, 2011
Average FPS
191
100%
Min 1% FPS
134
100%
Price, $
$48.02
100%
Value, $/FPS
$0.25/FPS
100%
Core i7-2600S 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
Add a Game
Select Settings
Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i7-2600S vs Core i7-3970X in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i7-2600S vs Core i7-3970X in core CPU performance specifications
Core i7-2600S
Jan 9th, 2011
Cores
4-core
67%
L3 Cache
8 MB
53%
Base Frequency
2.8 GHz
80%
Turbo Frequency
3.8 GHz
95%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
MHz
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 i7-2600S | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i7-3970X |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Jan 9th, 2011 | Release Date | Nov 1st, 2012 |
| Not Available | MSRP | $990.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1155 | Socket | Intel Socket 2011 |
| Sandy Bridge | Codename | Sandy Bridge-E |
65 W | Power Consumption | 150 W |
| Performance | ||
| 4 | Cores | 6 |
| 8 | Threads | 12 |
| 2.8 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.5 GHz |
| 3.8 GHz | Turbo Frequency | 4.0 GHz |
| 8 MB | L3 Cache | 15 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 | RAM | DDR3 @ 1600 MHz |
Intel HD 2000 | Integrated Graphics | No |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
