Intel Core i7-6850K vs Intel Core i7-3970X

Let's find out which one of Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i7-3970X is of a more recent generation, and what segment it belongs to.

• Name
  Intel Core i7-6850K Intel Core i7-3970X
• Segment
  Desktop / Server Desktop / Server
• Family
  Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
• Generation
  6 3
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 6000 Intel Core i 3000X

In this block we are going to compare Intel Core i7-6850K vs Intel Core i7-3970X by main technical specifications: number of cores and threads, base and maximum frequencies, process technology and cache size. The higher these specifications are, the more powerful your CPU will be.

• Frequency
  3.60 GHz 3.50 GHz
• CPU Cores
  6 6
• Turbo (1 Core)
  3.80 GHz 4.00 GHz
• CPU Threads
  12 12
• Turbo (6 Cores)
  No turbo 4.00 GHz
• Hyperthreading
  Yes Yes
• Overclocking
  Yes Yes
• Core architecture
  normal normal

Common specifications for integrated graphics cards in Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i7-3970X along with supported interfaces and connection options. This block has no effect on the final efficiency of the CPU.

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

Let's compare the support of video codecs between Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i7-3970X. Hardware support of video decoding by embedded graphics cards directly affects the speed and quality of rendering videos.

• 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

To choose the best model between Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i7-3970X you need to pay special attention to memory type, clock frequency, multi-channel features, and PCIe version. The higher these numbers are, the better your CPU will be. Keep in mind that the maximum memory and frequency may also depend on the model of the motherboard.

• Memory type
  DDR4-2133DDR4-2400 DDR3-1600
• Max. Memory
  128 GB
• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  4 4
• PCIe version
  3.0
• PCIe lanes
  40

AES-NI encryption support for CPUs Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i7-3970X.

• AES-NI
  Yes Yes

Let's find out what TDP value would be better for Intel Core i7-6850K or Intel Core i7-3970X? The Thermal Design Power (TDP) indicates the maximum amount of heat that should be dissipated by the chip cooling system. However, the value of TDP gives only a rough indication of the real power consumption of the CPU.

• TDP (PL1)
  140 W 150 W
• Tjunction max.
  100 °C --

Here you can find a comparison of 2nd and 3rd level cache sizes for Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i7-3970X CPUs along with a list of ISA extensions.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d (C2 Stepping)
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
• L3-Cache
  15.00 MB 15.00 MB
• Architecture
  Skylake S Sandy Bridge E
• Technology
  14 nm 32 nm
• Socket
  LGA 2011-3 LGA 2011
• Release date
  Q2/2016 Q4/2012

List of devices based on Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i7-3970X.

• Used in
  Unknown Unknown