Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition looks to become the next flagship on the enthusiast market when Intel unveils the new LGA2011 platform. Benchmarks have leaked for the powerful processor and the tests are from intel’s own lab that shows the new Sandy Bridge-E CPU being on average 47% faster than Core i7-990X.
The documents that have been published at Donanimhaber shows how Intel have tested the two top models for LGA1366 and LGA2011 in a number of tests. From 3D rendering to games and memory bandwidth. As usual the benchmarks are handpicked to work well with the newest chip and not surprisingly the results are very diverse, but despite a lower stock clock at 3.3 GHz, Intel Core i7-3960X manages to collect the trophy in all tests. Especially in tests where Sandy Bridge-E can use its quad-channel memory controller, or AVX media instructions.
| Intel Core i7-9360X EE | Intel Core i7-990X EE | |
| Platform | LGA2011 | LGA1366 |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-E | Gulftown |
| Node | 32nm | 32nm |
| Cores/Threads | 6 / 12 | 6 / 12 |
| Clock frequency |
3.3 GHz | 3.46 GHz |
| Turbo frequency |
3.9 GHz | 3.73 GHz |
| Cache | 15 MB | 12 MB |
| Memory channels |
4 | 3 |
| AVX media instructions | Yes | No |
Thanks to a big 15MB cache and 3.9 GHz Turbo mode Core i7-3960X will offer 36% better performance in 3Dmark 11, which bodes well for those looking for a powerful gaming rig.
It is still uncertain exactly when Sandy Bridge-E launches for retail, but all points to a launch around the end of the year. Intel will roll out the new LGA2011 platform, which will set the bar for processor performance.
