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Intel Core i7-3960X

vs

Intel Core i5-12400F

CPU Comparison Result

Below are the results of a comparison of Intel Core i7-3960X and Intel Core i5-12400F processors based on key performance characteristics, as well as power consumption and much more.

Advantages

Intel Core i5-12400F

Higher Max Turbo Frequency: 4.40 GHz (up to 3.9 GHz vs 4.40 GHz)
Larger L3 Cache: 18 MB (15 MB (shared) vs 18 MB)
Higher Technology: Intel 7 (32 nm vs Intel 7)
Newer PCI Express Version: 5.0 and 4.0 (Gen 3, 40 Lanes (CPU only) vs 5.0 and 4.0)
Higher Memory Type: Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s (DDR3 vs Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s)
Newer Launch Date: January 2022 (November 2011 vs January 2022)

Basic

Intel

Label Name

Intel

November 2011

Launch Date

January 2022

Desktop

Platform

Desktop

Core i7-3960X

Model Name

i5-12400F

Sandy Bridge-E

Code Name

Alder Lake

Core i7 Extreme (Sandy Bridge-E)

Generation

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Performance-cores

3.3 GHz

Basic Frequency

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Yes

up to 3.9 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

4.40 GHz

Performance-core Base Frequency

2.50 GHz

Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency

4.40 GHz

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Yes

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

2.0

64 KB (per core)

L1 Cache

256 KB (per core)

L2 Cache

15 MB (shared)

L3 Cache

18 MB

100 MHz

Bus Frequency

Cache

18 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel Socket 2011

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1700

33.0x

Multiplier

Yes

Multiplier Unlocked

Intel AES New Instructions

Yes

32 nm

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

Intel 7

130 W

TDP

65 W

Processor Base Power

65 W

Maximum Turbo Power

117 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

Gen 3, 40 Lanes (CPU only)

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

5.0 and 4.0

Max Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Instruction Set

An instruction set architecture (ISA) defines the instructions a processor can execute. Common architectures include x86-64, ARM and RISC-V. The ISA determines software compatibility, while optional instruction extensions add specialized capabilities.

64-bit

Intel 64

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Yes

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16+4 | 2x8+4

2,270 million

Transistor Count

Memory Specifications

DDR3

Memory Type

Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

128 GB

Quad-channel

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

76.8 GB/s

ECC Memory Support

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Discrete Graphics Card Required

AI Specifications

Intel Gaussian Neural Accelerator

3.0

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) on CPU

Yes

Interfaces and Ports

Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)

Yes

Miscellaneous

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Yes

Intel Control-Flow Enforcement Technology

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes