Intel Core i7-3970X vs Intel Core i5-4690

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i7-3970X or Intel Core i7-3970X – 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 i7-3970X features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2012 and belongs to the 3 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-3970X, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2011 socket.
The Intel Core i5-4690 features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2014 and belongs to the 4 generation of the Intel Core i5 series.
To use the Intel Core i5-4690, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1150 socket.
Intel Core i 3000X Group Intel Core i 4000
3 Generation 4
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i7-3970X Name Intel Core i5-4690
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Family Intel Core i5
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-3970X has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-3970X is 3.5 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.0 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i5-4690 has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-4690 is 3.5 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.9 GHz.
12 Threads 4
6x Cores 4x
6 CPU Cores 4
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading No
Yes Overclocking No
4.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 3.9 GHz
3.5 GHz Frequency 3.5 GHz
4.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) 3.7 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-3970X does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i5-4690 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-4690 uses the Intel HD Graphics 4600, which has 160 texture shaders
and 20 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 160
-- Release date Q2/2013
-- Technology 22 nm
-- Direct X 11.1
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 20
-- GPU frequency 0.35 GHz
-- Generation 7.5
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.2 GHz
GPU name Intel HD Graphics 4600
 
 

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
-- AV1 No
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- 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.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 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 DDR3-1600
No ECC No
64.0 GB Max. Memory 32.0 GB
4 Memory channels 2
51.2 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 150 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 84 W watts.
150 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 84 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-3970X 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 Intel Core i5-4690 is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 6.0 MB cache.
Q4/2012 Release date Q2/2014
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d (C2 Stepping) Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
32 nm Technology 22 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
820 $ Release price 224 $
Sandy Bridge E Architecture Haswell S
15.0 MB L3-Cache 6.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
LGA 2011 Socket LGA 1150
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
19425
19425
Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
11339
11339

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
4981
4981
Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
2913
2913

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
3597
3597
Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
3350
3350

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
3512
3512
Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
3378
3378

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
2623
2623
Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
1581
1581

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
1193
1193
Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
742
742

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
1065
1065
Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
534
534

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i5-4690
4C 4T @ 3.5 GHz
152
152
Intel Core i7-3970X
6C 12T @ 3.5 GHz
135
135