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IntelBX80633I74960X
$1,189
IntelBX80646I74790K
$348
▲ 52910 ▼
 $1,189 

6 Cores, 12 Threads @3.6GHz, Ivy Bridge-E.
Release date: Q3 2013.

VS
▲ 8841,573 ▼
 $348 

4 Cores, 8 Threads @4.0GHz, Haswell.
Release date: Q2 2014.

Effective Speed 
+1%
Real World Speed
Performance profile from 460,867 user samples
Benchmark your CPU here
5,121 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 88% Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 4.4 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 70% Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 1.65 GHz (avg)
Poor: 70% Great: 88%
SPEED RANK: 257th / 1442
Gaming
Gaming 78%
Battleship
Desktop
Desktop 79%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 69%
Battle cruiser
455,746 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 87% Base clock 4 GHz, turbo 4.6 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 67% Base clock 4 GHz, turbo 0.7 GHz (avg)
Poor: 67% Great: 87%
SPEED RANK: 251st / 1442
Gaming
Gaming 79%
Battleship
Desktop
Desktop 83%
Aircraft carrier
Workstation
Workstation 65%
Destroyer
Effective Speed
Effective CPU Speed 		78.4 % 78.9 % +1%
Average Score 
+3%
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency 		86.2 Pts 88.1 Pts +2%
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed 		98 Pts 114 Pts Faster single-core speed.
+16%
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed 		196 Pts 216 Pts Faster dual-core speed.
+10%
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed 		381 Pts +1% 378 Pts
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed 		619 Pts Faster octa-core speed.
+11% 		560 Pts
Overclocked Score 
+0%
Memory
OC Memory Latency 		95.2 Pts 96.8 Pts +2%
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed 		118 Pts 128 Pts Slightly faster OC single-core speed.
+8%
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed 		231 Pts 248 Pts Slightly faster OC dual-core speed.
+7%
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed 		450 Pts +4% 433 Pts
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed 		728 Pts Faster OC octa-core speed.
+13% 		643 Pts
Value & Sentiment 
+487%
Market Share
Based on 67,720,749 CPUs tested
See market share leaders
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days) 		0.03 % 0.56 % Insanely higher market share.
+1,767%
Value
Value For Money 		52.6 % 74.2 % Much better value.
+41%
User Rating
UBM User Rating 		52 % 88 % Much more popular.
+69%
Price
Price (score) 		$1,189 $348 Much cheaper.
+71%
Nice To Haves 
+13%
Age
Newest 		127 Months 118 Months Slightly more recent.
+7%
TDP
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 		130 Watts 88 Watts Much more energy efficient.
+32%
Cores
CPU Processing Cores 		6 cores Much higher core count.
+50% 		4 cores
Threads
CPU Processing Threads 		12 threads Much higher thread count.
+50% 		8 threads
Lithography
Manufacturing process 		22 nm 22 nm
Base Clock
Base Clock Speed 		3.6 GHz 4 GHz Faster base frequency.
+11%
Turbo Clock
Turbo Clock Speed 		4 GHz 4.4 GHz Faster turbo frequency.
+10%
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed 		905 Pts Much faster OC 64-core speed.
+38% 		654 Pts
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed 		776 Pts Much faster 64-core speed.
+35% 		573 Pts
Specifications 
Series
CPU Architecture 		Ivy Bridge-E Haswell
Socket
Motherboard Socket 		FCLGA2011 FCLGA1150
Graphics
Integrated Graphics 		None HD 4600
Launch Date
Launch Date 		Q3'13 Q2'14
Cache
Cache 		15 MB SmartCache 8 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set Extensions
Instruction Set Extensions 		SSE4.2, AVX, AES SSE4.1/4.2, AVX 2.0
Recommended Price
Recommended Customer Price 		N/A $339.00 - $350.00
Max Turbo Frequency
Max Turbo Frequency 		4 GHz 4.4 GHz
Max Memory Size
Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) 		64 GB 32 GB
Memory Types
Memory Types 		DDR3 1333/1600/1866 DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Memory Channels
Max # of Memory Channels 		4 2
Memory Bandwidth
Max Memory Bandwidth 		59.7 GB/s 25.6 GB/s
Package Size
Package Size 		52.5mm x 45.0mm 37.5mm x 37.5mm
Max # of PCI Express Lanes
Max # of PCI Express Lanes 		40 16

More specs » More specs »
Conclusion 
Average Bench 78.4%
Average Bench 78.9%
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The Core i7-4960X is Intel's top of the range desktop processor which sports six physical and twelve hyper-threaded cores. The 4960X was released in 2013 but it uses an FCLGA2011 socket which is supported only by the X79 chipset and is now three years old. As a result an investment in this processor forgoes the last three years worth of platform advances which include, amongst other things, on-board USB 3.0 and additional SATA 600 MB/s ports. Comparing the 4960X and the 4930K shows that when overclocked, the 4930K is able to best the extreme 4960X at nearly half the price! Finally comparing the latest Haswell 4770K to the 4960X shows that 4770K is again able to best the 4960X, this time at a small fraction of the price. The 4960X is significantly overpriced and there is far better value available elsewhere. [Mar '14 CPUPro]

MORE DETAILS

The Intel Core i7-4790K, codenamed Devil's Canyon, is an upgraded 4770K, Intel's current flagship i7. The 4790K features an improved thermal interface which enables it to dissipate heat more efficiently than the 4770K. Comparing the 4770K and 4790K shows that stock performance has improved by 13% which is consistent with the base clock jump from 3.5 GHz to 4.0 GHz. OC performance remains unchanged. Comparing the 4790K and 4790 shows that at stock clocks the 4790K is around 16% faster which considering the small price difference makes the 4790K a far better choice. Previously Intel targeted the unlocked K versions at overclockers but with Devil's Canyon they have included VT-d on the K chip and this time it's squarely aimed at both power users and overclockers alike. Until the release of Broadwell in six months, the 4790K is the high end CPU of choice. [Jul '14 CPUPro]

MORE DETAILS

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We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]

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