Intel Core i7-3960X vs AMD A10-4655M

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i7-3960X or Intel Core i7-3960X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i7-3960X features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2011 and belongs to the 3 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-3960X, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2011 socket.
The AMD A10-4655M features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2012 and belongs to the 2 generation of the AMD A series.
To use the AMD A10-4655M, you'll need a motherboard with a FP2 socket.
Intel Core i 3000X Group AMD A10-4000M
3 Generation 2
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
Intel Core i7-3960X Name AMD A10-4655M
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Family AMD A
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-3960X has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-3960X is 3.3 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.9 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The AMD A10-4655M has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD A10-4655M is 2.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 2.8 GHz.
12 Threads 4
6x Cores 4x
6 CPU Cores 4
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading No
Yes Overclocking No
3.9 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 2.8 GHz
3.3 GHz Frequency 2.0 GHz
3.9 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) 2.8 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-3960X does not have integrated graphics.
The AMD A10-4655M has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the AMD A10-4655M uses the AMD Radeon HD 7620G, which has 384 texture shaders
and 6 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 384
-- Release date Q2/2012
-- Technology 32 nm
-- Direct X 11
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 6
-- GPU frequency 0.36 GHz
-- Generation 4
-- GPU (Turbo) 0.5 GHz
GPU name AMD Radeon HD 7620G
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- VP8 No
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- AV1 No
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
-- AVC Decode
-- h264 Decode
-- VP9 No
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 64.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR3-1600 Memory type DDR3-1333
No ECC No
64.0 GB Max. Memory 0 bytes
4 Memory channels 2
51.2 GB/s Bandwidth --
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 130 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 25 W watts.
130 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 25 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-3960X is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 15.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD A10-4655M is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
Q4/2011 Release date Q2/2012
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d (C2 Stepping) Virtualization AMD-V
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, FMA3, FMA4
32 nm Technology 32 nm
Monolithic Chip design --
970 $ Release price --
Sandy Bridge E Architecture Trinity (Piledriver)
15.0 MB L3-Cache 4.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
LGA 2011 Socket FP2
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
19300
19300
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
2670
2670

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
8454
8454
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
2526
2526

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
4973
4973
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
716
716

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
3314
3314
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
1104
1104

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
1158
1158
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
156
156

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
804
804
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
269
269

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
159
159
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
52
52

Cinebench R11.5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3960X
6C 12T @ 3.3 GHz
11.4
11.4
AMD A10-4655M
4C 4T @ 2.0 GHz
1.9
1.9