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Intel

Core i7-3970X

▲ 500 ▼

6 Cores, 12 Threads @3.50 GHz, Sandy Bridge E.
Release date ≈ Q1 2017.

Average Bench: 87.2% (158th of 1442)

Based on 3 user benchmarks.  Model: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3970X CPU @ 3.50GHz
Poor: 75%Average: 87.2% Great: 93%
Gaming
Gaming 87%
Aircraft carrier
Desktop
Desktop 88%
Aircraft carrier
Workstation
Workstation 75%
Battleship

Popular builds with this CPU

Very good average bench

The Intel Core i7-3970X averaged just 12.8% lower than the peak scores attained by the group leaders. This is an excellent result which ranks the Intel Core i7-3970X near the top of the comparison list.

Strengths

Avg. Memory Latency 92.8Pts
Avg. Quad Core Speed 440Pts

Unknown consistency

There are too few samples to reasonably determine how consistently this CPU perfroms. This result should be interpreted with caution.

Weaknesses

Avg. Multi Core Speed 792Pts
Avg. Octa Core Speed 674Pts
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Average Bench

(Based on 3 samples)
Rank 15887.2%
Min Avg Max
84.3 Memory 92.8 97.9
90.4 1-Core 111 122
195 2-Core 226 245
81.8% 143 Pts
Min Avg Max
359 4-Core 440 488
564 8-Core 674 730
68.9% 557 Pts
Min Avg Max
724 64-Core 792 925
49% 792 Pts
User Benchmarks BenchNormalHeavyServer
The fastest CPU (mainstream) averages a speed of 100%
, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 6 threads
Base clock 3.5 GHz, turbo 4.6 GHz (avg)
93.4% Outstanding
Memory 96.2
1-Core 122
2-Core 245
88% 154 Pts
4-Core 488
8-Core 727
76% 608 Pts
64-Core 724
45% 724 Pts
, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 12 threads
Base clock 3.65 GHz, turbo 4.55 GHz (avg)
92.7% Outstanding
Memory 97.9
1-Core 121
2-Core 239
87% 153 Pts
4-Core 472
8-Core 730
74% 601 Pts
64-Core 925
57% 925 Pts
, 1 CPU, 6 cores, 12 threads
Base clock 3.5 GHz, turbo 3.35 GHz (avg)
75.4% Very good
Memory 84.3
1-Core 90.4
2-Core 195
71% 123 Pts
4-Core 359
8-Core 564
57% 462 Pts
64-Core 728
45% 728 Pts

 Market Share (See Leaders)

The number of benchmark samples for this model as a percentage of all 67,826,135 CPUs tested

Custom PC Builder (Start a new build) Build your perfect PC: compare component prices, popularity, speed and value for money

CHOOSE A COMPONENT:

CPU GPU SSD HDD RAM MBD
Typical Core i7-3970X Builds (Compare 39 builds) See popular component choices, score breakdowns and rankings
Gaming
Gaming 7%
Tree trunk
Desktop
Desktop 75%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 7%
Tree trunk

System: Alaska A_M_I

CPU
Core i7-3970XIntelBench 87%, 3 samples1x
GPU
HD 2500 (Desktop 1.05 GHz)IntelBench 1%, 146,665 samples5x
GTX 1650S (Super)Nvidia  $295Bench 59%, 180,577 samples5x
GTX 970Nvidia  $200Bench 49%, 834,238 samples4x
SSD
MX500 1TBCrucial  $66Bench 106%, 202,785 samples4x
MX500 250GBCrucial  $39Bench 101%, 77,177 samples3x
SSDNow KC300 480GBKingston  $85Bench 58%, 712 samples2x
RAM
99U5474-028.A00LF 99U5471-020.A00LF 99U5474-028.A00LF 99U5471-020.A00LF 16GBKingstonBench 55%, 34 samples7x
HyperX DDR3 1600 C9 4x4GBKingstonBench 56%, 28,461 samples2x
1x4GBUnknownBench 28%, 154,807 samples2x
EDIT WITH CUSTOM PC BUILDER Value: 53% - Above average Total price: $66

Popular Core i7-3970X systems:

How Fast Is Your CPU? (Bench your build) Size up your PC in less than a minute

Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.

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Gaming Desktop ProGaming

How it works

  • - Download and run UserBenchmark
  • - CPU tests include: integer, floating and string
  • - GPU tests include: six 3D game simulations
  • - Drive tests include: read, write, sustained write and mixed IO
  • - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency
  • - SkillBench (space shooter) tests user input accuracy
  • - Reports are generated and presented on userbenchmark.com
  • - Identify the strongest components in your PC
  • - See speed test results from other users
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  • - Compare your in-game FPS to other users with your hardware
Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) May 2024 CPU Rankings

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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Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.

 Specifications

Essentials

DescriptionIntel® Core™ i7-3970X Processor Extreme Edition (15M Cache, up to 4.00 GHz)
Code NameSandy Bridge E
Launch DateQ4'12
Processor Numberi7-3970X
# of Cores6
# of Threads12
Cache15 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set64-bit
Instruction Set ExtensionsSSE4.2, AVX, AES
Embedded Options AvailableNo
Lithography32 nm
VID Voltage Range0.6V-1.35V
Recommended Price$1059.00
Clock Speed3.50 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency4.00 GHz
Bus Speed5 GT/s DMI2
Max TDP150 W

Memory

Max Memory Size64.45 GB
Memory TypesDDR3 1066/1333/1600
Memory Channels4
Memory Bandwidth51.2 GB/s
ECC Memory SupportedNo

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision2.0
Max # of PCI Express Lanes40

Data Protection

AES New InstructionsYes

Advanced Technologies

Virtualization Tech (VT-x)Yes
Intel 64Yes
Idle StatesYes
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® TechYes
Thermal Monitoring TechnologiesYes
Turbo Boost Tech2.0
Hyper-Threading TechYes
Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d)Yes
VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)Yes
Demand Based SwitchingNo
vPro TechNo
Identity Protection TechYes
Smart Response TechYes

Package

Package Size52.5mm x 45.0mm
Max CPU Configuration1
Sockets SupportedFCLGA2011

Platform Protection

Execute Disable BitYes
Trusted Execution TechNo

 Comments

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Speed Comparisons

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1442 Processors (Compared) Thousands of user benchmarks compiled into one comparison list

See how consistently different CPUs perform with varying real world conditions. The charts also illustrate overall performance, popularity and rank.

 Frequently Asked Questions

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ALL FAQs »

 Best User Rated
The Best.
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $254Nvidia RTX 4060 $300Crucial MX500 250GB $39
Intel Core i5-12400F $133Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $163Nvidia RTX 4070 $539Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $52
HDDRAMUSB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB (2016) $39Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GB $45SanDisk Extreme 64GB $72
WD Blue 1TB (2012) $31Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB $48SanDisk Extreme 32GB $28
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $51G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 3200 C14 4x16GB $351SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB $16
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