The Core i7-3970X is a much slower gaming CPU than the Core i9-9980XE, however, it's a much better value for money, as it's $523.13 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i7-3970X
- Up to 75% cheaper – $176.86 vs $699.99
- A much better value for money for gaming
- Consumes up to 9% less energy – 150 vs 165 Watts
Advantages of the Core i9-9980XE
- At least 2x faster CPU for gaming
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 36 vs 12 threads
Core i7-3970X vs Core i9-9980XE for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Average FPS
172
92%
Min 1% FPS
115
93%
Price, $
$176.86
100%
Value, $/FPS
$1.02/FPS
100%
Core i9-9980XE
Oct 19th, 2018
Average FPS
186
100%
Min 1% FPS
124
100%
Price, $
$699.99
25%
Value, $/FPS
$3.76/FPS
27%
Core i7-3970X vs Core i9-9980XE 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 i9-9980XE in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i7-3970X vs Core i9-9980XE in core CPU performance specifications
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Cores
6-core
33%
L3 Cache
15 MB
61%
Base Frequency
3.5 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
4 GHz
91%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1600 MHz
60%
Core i9-9980XE
Oct 19th, 2018
Cores
18-core
100%
L3 Cache
24.75 MB
100%
Base Frequency
3 GHz
86%
Turbo Frequency
4.4 GHz
100%
Max. DDR4 RAM Speed
2666 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i7-3970X | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i9-9980XE |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Nov 1st, 2012 | Release Date | Oct 19th, 2018 |
$990.00 | MSRP | $1,979.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 2011 | Socket | Intel Socket 2066 |
| Sandy Bridge E | Codename | Skylake |
150 W | Power Consumption | 165 W |
| Performance | ||
| 6 | Cores | 18 |
| 12 | Threads | 36 |
3.5 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.0 GHz |
| 4.0 GHz | Turbo Frequency | 4.4 GHz |
| 15 MB | L3 Cache | 24.75 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1600 MHz | RAM | DDR4 @ 2666 MHz |
| No | Integrated Graphics | No |
| Yes | Overclockable | Yes |
