The Core i7-3970X is a clear winner – it's a much faster gaming CPU than the Core i7-960 and it's also a better value for money, as it's $40.14 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i7-3970X
- A much faster CPU for gaming
- Up to 18% cheaper – $176.86 vs $217.00
- A better value for money for gaming
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 12 vs 8 threads
Advantages of the Core i7-960
- Consumes up to 13% less energy – 130 vs 150 Watts
Core i7-3970X vs Core i7-960 for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Average FPS
172
100%
Min 1% FPS
115
100%
Price, $
$176.86
100%
Value, $/FPS
$1.02/FPS
100%
Core i7-3970X vs Core i7-960 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 i7-3970X vs Core i7-960 in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i7-3970X vs Core i7-960 in core CPU performance specifications
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%
Core i7-960
Oct 20th, 2009
Cores
4-core
67%
L3 Cache
8 MB
53%
Base Frequency
3.2 GHz
91%
Turbo Frequency
3.46 GHz
86%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
MHz
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i7-3970X | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i7-960 |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
Nov 1st, 2012 | Release Date | Oct 20th, 2009 |
| $990.00 | MSRP | Not Available |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 2011 | Socket | Intel Socket 1366 |
| Sandy Bridge E | Codename | Bloomfield |
| 150 W | Power Consumption | 130 W |
| Performance | ||
6 | Cores | 4 |
12 | Threads | 8 |
3.5 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.2 GHz |
4.0 GHz | Turbo Frequency | 3.5 GHz |
15 MB | L3 Cache | 8 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1600 MHz | RAM | DDR3 |
| No | Integrated Graphics | No |
Yes | Overclockable | No |
