Intel Core i7-3960X vs Intel Xeon E7-4850 v2. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Segment
  Desktop / Server Desktop / Server
• Family
  Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Intel Xeon E7
• Generation
  3 4
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 3000X Intel Xeon E7 v2

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Frequency
  3.30 GHz 2.30 GHz
• CPU Cores
  6 12
• Turbo (1 Core)
  3.90 GHz 2.80 GHz
• CPU Threads
  12 24
• Hyperthreading
  Yes Yes
• Overclocking
  Yes No
• Core architecture
  normal normal

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  no iGPU no iGPU
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo No turbo

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  No No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  No No
• h264
  No No
• VP9
  No No
• VP8
  No No
• AV1
  No No
• AVC
  No No
• VC-1
  No No
• JPEG
  No No

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Intel Xeon E7-4850 v2 and Intel Core i7-3960X. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  DDR3-1600 DDR3-1600
• ECC
  No Yes
• Memory channels
  4 4

• AES-NI
  Yes Yes

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Intel Core i7-3960X and Intel Xeon E7-4850 v2 to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  130 W 105 W

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Intel Core i7-3960X and Intel Xeon E7-4850 v2, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d (C2 Stepping) VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
• L3-Cache
  15.00 MB 24.00 MB
• Architecture
  Sandy Bridge E Ivy Bridge EX
• Technology
  32 nm 22 nm
• Socket
  LGA 2011 LGA 2011
• Release date
  Q4/2011 Q1/2014