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Intel Core i7-3970X
Benchmarks & Specs

Name: Intel Core i7-3970X
Brand: Intel
Rating: 4.3 (7 reviews)

Last updated: 2025-12-11

Table of Contents

Summary
Benchmarks
Specifications
User Reviews
Popular Comparisons

Summary

The Intel Core i7-3970X was a top-tier processor at the time. It was based on the advanced Sandy Bridge E architecture. This CPU was manufactured using the 32nm process. Specifically designed for enthusiasts, this processor delivered remarkable performance. The Extreme suffix was a sign.

It already indicated its suitability for demanding gaming. With 15 MB of Level 3 cache, the Intel Core i7-3970X had a very generous buffer memory. This significantly supported the fast processing of large amounts of data. The maximum memory bandwidth of 51 GB/s also contributed to this. It ensured rapid data exchange with the main memory.

Even today, this processor can still surprise for certain tasks. It often still handles older games or special workloads well. We can confirm that it still performs well in some scenarios. For its time, it was a solid choice for high demands.

Sandy Bridge E Architecture
Suitable for Gaming
15 MB Level 3 Cache
51 GB/s maximum memory bandwidth

Benchmarks

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance

Rank 702 / 867
In segment Desktop

Multi-core performance

Rank 556 / 821
In segment Desktop

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

4C / 4T · 3.80 GHz

755

6C / 12T · 3.90 GHz

746

6C / 12T · 4.00 GHz

742

4C / 4T · 3.80 GHz

741

4C / 8T · 3.90 GHz

740

Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

4C / 8T · 3.60 GHz

3,540

4C / 8T · 3.60 GHz

3,540

6C / 12T · 4.00 GHz

3,512

4C / 8T · 3.20 GHz

3,497

6C / 12T · 3.90 GHz

3,488

Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core
Single-core performance

2C / 2T · 3.20 GHz

818

4C / 8T · 3.30 GHz

815

6C / 12T · 4.00 GHz

812

2C / 4T · 3.60 GHz

811

12C / 24T · 2.90 GHz

811

Geekbench 5, 64bit Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

6C / 12T · 2.80 GHz

5,036

4C / 8T · 4.50 GHz

5,027

6C / 12T · 4.00 GHz

4,981

6C / 6T · 3.80 GHz

4,977

6C / 12T · 3.90 GHz

4,973

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

6C / 12T · 3.30 GHz

2,643

4C / 8T · 3.80 GHz

2,633

6C / 12T · 3.50 GHz

2,623

6C / 12T · 3.20 GHz

2,588

6C / 6T · 2.90 GHz

2,585

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)
Single-core performance

2C / 4T · 3.40 GHz

136 cb

4C / 4T · 3.50 GHz

136 cb

6C / 12T · 4.00 GHz

135 cb

4C / 4T · 3.30 GHz

134 cb

4C / 8T · 3.70 GHz

134 cb

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)
Multi-core performance

4C / 8T · 4.40 GHz

1,080 cb

6C / 12T · 3.20 GHz

1,068 cb

6C / 12T · 4.00 GHz

1,065 cb

6C / 12T · 3.60 GHz

1,064 cb

6C / 6T · 4.10 GHz

1,042 cb

More benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (SC)
1,989 entries

Geekbench 6 (MC)
1,927 entries

Geekbench 5 (SC)
2,512 entries

Geekbench 5 (MC)
2,483 entries

PassMark CPU-Mark
2,504 entries

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (MC)
751 entries

Cinebench R15 (SC)
1,113 entries

Cinebench R15 (MC)
1,110 entries

Geekbench 3 (SC)
945 entries

Geekbench 3 (MC)
941 entries

Cinebench R11.5 (SC)
826 entries

Cinebench R11.5 (MC)
837 entries

Specifications

At a glance

Property	Value
Family	Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition (24)
CPU group	Intel Core i 3000X (4)
Architecture	Sandy Bridge E
Technology	32 nm
Segment	Desktop
Socket	LGA 2011
Generation	3
Predecessor
Successor

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Property	Value
CPU Cores / Threads	6 / 12
Hyperthreading / SMT	✓
Core architecture	normal
Cores:	6x
Frequency:	3.50 GHz
Turbo Frequency (1 Core):	4.00 GHz
Turbo Frequency (6 Cores):	4.00 GHz
L2-Cache
L3-Cache	15.00 MB
Overclocking	Yes

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Property	Value
GPU name	no iGPU
GPU frequency
CUs / Shader	/
Raytracing	✗
Max. displays
Max. GPU Memory
Technology
Release date

NPU AI performance

Property	Value
AI hardware
AI specifications
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Memory type	Memory bandwidth
DDR3-1600	51.2 GB/s
Property	Value
Max. Memory	64 GB
Memory channels	4
ECC	✗
PCIe	2.0 x 40
PCIe Bandwidth	20.0 GB/s

Thermal Management

Property	Value
TDP	150 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down
T. junction max.

Technical details

Property	Value
Chip design	Monolithic
AES-NI	✓
Operating systems	Windows 10, Linux
Instruction set	x86-64 (64 bit)
ISA extensions	SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
Release date	Q4/2012
Release price	820 $
Documents	Technical data sheet

User Reviews

Your rating

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★★★★★