With Haswell-E, Intel is not just launching a few new high-end desktop CPUs but a completely new platform. In combination with X99 and DDR4, Haswell-E is big step forward for Intel. On top of all this there are now eight core CPUs available for endusers, which is something enthusiasts as well as professionals have been waiting for.
With their new Core i7-5960X, Intel is introducing the next
generation of their high end dekstop processors. Along with the new CPUs the
worlds largest chip maker is also launching the X99 platform, which is the
sucessor of X79. On top of that there is even DDR4 being introduced at the same
time. The launch of Haswell-E is therefore quite a leap forward for Intel, since
there is a completely new plattform being introduced, which is derived from
Intels enterprise portfolio.
In this review we're going to have a closer look at what performance level Intel
is capable of offering with their Core i7-5960X. As you might already know this
CPU features no less than eight cores and 16 threads, which is two cores and
four threads more than what you got with the predecessor Core i7-4960X. In this
case we're expecting to see improvements in quite a few benchmarks, since there
are several applications out there, which benefit from a higher core count.
[pagebreak]
Haswell-E in detail
| |
i7-5960X |
i7-4960X |
i7-5930K |
i7-4930K |
i7-5820K |
i7-4820K |
| Codename |
Haswell-E |
Ivy Bridge-E |
Haswell-E |
Ivy Bridge |
Haswell-E |
Haswell |
| Socket |
LGA2011-3 |
LGA2011 |
LGA2011-3 |
LGA2011 |
LGA2011-3 |
LGA2011 |
| Manufacturing |
22 nm |
22 nm |
22 nm |
22 nm |
22 nm |
22 nm |
| Transistors |
2.6 Billion |
1.86 Billion |
2.6 Billion |
1.86 Billion |
2.6 Billion |
1.86 Billion |
| Die-size |
356 mm2 |
257 mm2 |
356 mm2 |
257 mm2 |
356 mm2 |
257 mm2 |
| Clock |
3.00 GHz (3.50 GHz Turbo) |
3.60 GHz (4.00 GHz Turbo) |
3.50 GHz (3.70 GHz Turbo) |
3.40 GHz (3.90 GHz Turbo) |
3.30 GHz (3.60 GHz Turbo) |
3.70 GHz (3.90 GHz Turbo) |
| Cores / Threads |
8C / 16T |
6C / 12T |
6C / 12T |
6C / 12T |
6C / 12T |
4C / 8T |
| Turbo |
Yes (2.0) |
Yes (2.0) |
Yes (2.0) |
Yes (2.0) |
Yes (2.0) |
Yes (2.0) |
| Bus Speed |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
100 MHz |
| Memory |
DDR4-2133 |
DDR3-1866 |
DDR4-2133 |
DDR3-1866 |
DDR4-2133 |
DDR3-1866 |
| Memory controller |
Quad Channel |
Quad Channel |
Quad Channel |
QuadChannel |
Quad Channel |
QuadChannel |
| L1 Execution Cache |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
| L1 Data Cache |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
32 KByte |
| L2 Cache |
256 KByte |
256 KByte |
256 KByte |
256 KByte |
256 KByte |
256 KByte |
| L3 Cache |
20 MB shared |
15 MB shared |
15 MB shared |
12 MB shared |
15 MB shared |
10 MB shared |
| TDP |
140 Watt |
130 Watt |
140 Watt |
130 Watt |
140 Watt |
130Watt |
| C1E technology |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Enhanced Intel Speed Step |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Virtualisation |
Vanderpool |
Vanderpool |
Vanderpool |
Vanderpool |
Vanderpool |
Vanderpool |
| Instruction sets |
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1,
SSE4.2, AES, AVX, EM64T |
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1,
SSE4.2, AES, AVX, EM64T |
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1,
SSE4.2, AES, AVX, EM64T |
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1,
SSE4.2, AES, AVX, EM64T |
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1,
SSE4.2, AES, AVX, EM64T |
MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1,
SSE4.2, AES, AVX, EM64T |
| MSRP |
999 US-Dollar |
|
583 US-Dollar |
|
389 US-Dollar |
|
As we already mentioned, one
big step forward from Ivy Bridge-E to Haswell-E is the introduction of the DDR4
memory interface as well as apparently DDR4 memory. As it always is when a new
DDR technology is making it to market, memory frequency on the new modules needs
to be substantially higher in order to outperform the earlier generation. The
reason is also always the same: the new generation of DDR memory is using a set
of higher latencies and these need to be compensated by higher clock speeds.
This in the end is the reason why we're testing different memory presets, since
we want to give you an outlook on what DDR4 will be capable of in the coming
months.
What's new apart from the DDR4 memory interface is the increased core count on
the new flagship model. In the past Intel has been offering 8 core / 16 threads
CPUs on the server market and now they're bringing this architecture to the
high-end desktop market. For obvious reasons it's the applications that support
multicore architectures, which will benfit the most from the added cores, such
as video encoding, just to mention an example.
Furthermore we can also see that Intel has increased the TDP with Haswell-E. In
the case of Ivy Bridge-E the TDP was set at 130 Watts and with Haswell-E the
thermal design power is now 140 Watt. In our opinion this is a reasonable move.
Since enthusiasts and professionals demand the most powerful systems they can
get. Apart from that todays high-end aircoolers as well as all-in-one
watercoolers are perfectly capable of removing this kind of heat at reasonable
noise levels. One might now reason that overall power consumption might be going
up. This is acutally true in a full load scenario, but when it comes to idle
power consumption, there is no increase thanks to rather efficient power saving
options.
If we dive a little bit deeper into what's been
change or added to the new Haswell-E processors, there is for example the
updated Socket LGA2011-v3. This upgrade was necessary due to the DDR4 memory
interface. Apart form that, as we already mentioned, Intels new high-end desktop
processors no feature eight as well as six core, whereas the predecessors were
limited to six/four cores, depending on the model. What's also new is the X99
platform, about which we're going to talk in the following paragraph. Another
point worth mentioning is the number of PCI Express 3.0 lanes, that are
available. If you take a closer look you will notice that the Core i7-5960X as
well as the Core i7-5930K support 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes and the Core i7-5820K
supports 28 lanes. Intels reasoning is that they wanted to have a CPU, which is
positioned inbetween the Core i7-4790K and the Core i7-5930K. Basically Intel
wanted to offer a reasonably price six core part that can benefit from the X99
platform.
Let's just dive into the new X99 platform right away. Intel made it
clear that they're very proud about the fact, that the new PCH natively supports
ten SATA 3.0 devices. Apart from that it is possible to run up to ten drives in
RAID configurations, which allows for some impressive performance numbers
regarding the storage subsystem. Looking at the picture above, on the other side
of the PCH we see that six USB 3.0 ports are natively supported. We were
actually hoping Intel would increase that number to ten, but since that is not
the case motherboard makers will continue using third party chips. High-end
multi GPU systems will benefit from the 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes you get with
the Core i7-5960X as well as Core i7-5930K. Therefore four-way configurations
are possible and you could even add another x8 card to the system. Other than
that there aren't too many things we haven't yet discussed on this page. The
DDR4 memory interface runs at 2133 MHz default, there is Intel High Definiteion
audio, Intel Rapid Storage Technology 13.1 is supported, Intel Gigabit LAN is
onboard, there are eight USB 2.0 ports and when it comes to software Intel is
still supporting Extreme Tuning Utility.
[pagebreak]
Test setup
Hardware |
|
CPU |
- Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35
- Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35
- Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24
- Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35
- Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24
- Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35
|
| Motherboard |
- ASRock X99 WS
- ASUS Rampage V Extreme
- ASUS X99 Deluxe
- EVGA X99 Classified
- Gigabyte X99 SOC Force
|
| Processor |
Intel Core i7-5960X, 3.5 GHz |
| Memory |
16 GB (4x4)
G.Skill Ripjaws4 DDR4-3000
MHz CL15-15-15-35-Auto @ DDR4-2133 CL14-14-14-35-2T |
| Graphic card |
ASUS GeForce GTX 780 Ti Matrix Platinum |
| Driver |
ForceWare 340.52 |
| Hard disk |
OCZ Arc 100 SSD 240 GB |
| Power supply |
Seasonic Platinum 1050W |
[pagebreak]
Preview / Gallery
[pagebreak]
3DMark
3DMark Fire Strike Total
|
3DMark Fire Strike Total |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
9'109 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
9'150 |
100.45 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
9'047 |
99.32
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
9'056 |
99.42
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
8'922 |
97.95
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
8'944 |
98.19
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
3DMark Fire Strike Physics |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
17'173 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
17'150 |
99.87
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
15'111 |
87.99
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
15'199 |
88.51
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
13'836 |
80.57
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
13'988 |
81.45
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
Fire Strike Extreme
|
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
4'539 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
4'544 |
100.11 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
4'507 |
99.29
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
4'521 |
99.60
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
4'479 |
98.68
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
4'494 |
99.01
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Physics Score |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
17'035 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
17'088 |
100.31 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
15'187 |
89.15
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
15'261 |
89.59
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
13'820 |
81.13
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
13'982 |
82.08
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
3DMark 11
|
3DMark 11 Total |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
13'414 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
13'556 |
101.06 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
12'929 |
96.38
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
13'001 |
96.92
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
12'401 |
92.45
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
12'508 |
93.25
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
3DMark 11 Physics |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
16'231 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
17'028 |
104.91 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
13'884 |
85.54
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
13'982 |
86.14
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
12'242 |
75.42
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
12'456 |
76.74
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
3DMark Vantage
|
3DMark Vantage Total |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
44'585 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
45'823 |
100.52 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
43'911 |
96.33
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
44'175 |
96.91
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
40'814 |
89.53
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
40'953 |
89.84
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
3DMark Vantage CPU |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
51'148 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
51'490 |
100.67 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
43'370 |
84.79
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
43'527 |
85.10
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
39'026 |
76.30
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
39'166 |
76.57
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
PC Mark 07
| PC Mark 07 Total |
|
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
6'297 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
6'337 |
100.64 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
6'104 |
96.94
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
6'114 |
97.09
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
5'682 |
90.23
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
5'693 |
90.41
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
Video Playback |
sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
22.95 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
23.96 |
104.40 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
23.98 |
104.49 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
23.98 |
104.49 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
23.95 |
104.36 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
23.96 |
104.40 % |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
DirectX 9 |
sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
108.71 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
108.67 |
99.96
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
108.78 |
100.06 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
109.06 |
100.32 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
100.77 |
92.70
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
101.47 |
93.34
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
Image Manipulation |
sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
23.73 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
24.47 |
103.12 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
23.93 |
100.84 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
25.00 |
105.35 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
22.54 |
94.99
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
22.76 |
95.91
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
|
Web Browsing |
sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
22.22 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
22.88 |
102.97 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
20.02 |
90.10
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
20.17 |
90.77
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
18.02 |
81.10
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
18.26 |
82.18
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Arithmetic Benchmark
| SiSoft Sandra - Arithmetic Benchmark - Dhrystone |
GIPS |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
241.00 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
240.60 |
99.83
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
198.49 |
82.36
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
198.63 |
82.42
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
185.06 |
76.79
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
185.23 |
76.86
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
| SiSoft Sandra - Arithmetic Benchmark -
Whetstone |
GFLOPS |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
187.27 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
187.00 |
99.86 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
156.80 |
83.73
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
157.10 |
83.89
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
134.66 |
71.71
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
135.34 |
72.27
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
Multimedia
| SiSoft Sandra - Multimedia - Integer |
MPixels/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
445.09 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
445.54 |
100.10 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
289.31 |
65.00
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
291.25 |
65.44
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
271.31 |
60.96
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
274.44 |
61.66
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
| SiSoft Sandra - Multimedia -
Floating Point |
MPixels/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
444.28 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
444.86 |
100.13 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
374.00 |
84.18
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
374.83 |
84.37
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
336.68 |
75.78
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
339.72 |
76.47
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
Crytography
| SiSoft Sandra - Crytography
- AES 256 |
GB/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
14.00 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
17.80 |
127.14 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
11.48 |
82.00
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
12.26 |
87.75
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
10.92 |
78.00
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
11.68 |
83.43
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
| SiSoft Sandra - Crytography - SHA
256 |
GB/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
9.20 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
9.30 |
101.09 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
4.01 |
43.59
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
4.07 |
44.24
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
3.75 |
40.76
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
3.81 |
41.41
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
SiSoft Sandra 2
Memory bandwidth
| SiSoft Sandra - Memory bandwidth -
Integer |
GB/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
45.66 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
58.74 |
128.65 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
41.22 |
90.28
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
44.57 |
97.61
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
40.59 |
88.90
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
43.15 |
94.50
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
| SiSoft Sandra - Memory
bandwidth -
floating point |
GB/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
46.46 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
58.77 |
126.50 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
41.24 |
88.76
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
44.58 |
95.95
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
40.63 |
87.45
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
43.14 |
92.85
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
Memory latency
| SiSoft Sandra - Memory
latency |
ns |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
28.7 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
23.5 |
122.13 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
26.6 |
107.89 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
24.6 |
116.67 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
22.7 |
126.43 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
23.2 |
123.71 % |
|
less is better |
more is better |
Memory and cache access
| SiSoft Sandra - Memory and cache access |
GB/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
347.15 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
375.45 |
108.15 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
195.93 |
56.44
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
224.47 |
64.66
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
200.69 |
57.81
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
205.15 |
59.10
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
UC Bench
| UC Bench |
PW/sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
1772.1 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
1772.6 |
100.30 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
1529.8 |
86.33
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
1531.7 |
86.43
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
1340.1 |
75.62
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
1343.6 |
75.82
% |
|
more is better |
[pagebreak]
SuperPi 1M - 32M
SuperPi 1M
| SuperPi 1.5 XS - 1M |
sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
10.334 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
10.291 |
100.42 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
9.204 |
112.82 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
9.095 |
113.62 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
9.911 |
104.27 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
9.860 |
104.81 % |
|
less is better |
more is better |
SuperPi 32M
| SuperPi 1.5 XS - 32M |
sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
546.819 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
536.944 |
101.84 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
512.602 |
106.68 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
510.230 |
107.17 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
545.845 |
100.18 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
540.131 |
101.24 % |
|
less is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
wPrime 2.10 1024M Multicore
| wPrime - 1024M Multi Core |
sec |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
104.058 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
104.004 |
100.05 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
124.612 |
83.51
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
123.848 |
84.02
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
133.865 |
77.73
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
132.799 |
78.36
% |
|
more is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15 - Multi Core
|
Cinebench R15 - Multi Core |
pts |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
1400 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
1409 |
100.05 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
1078 |
83.51
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
1089 |
84.02
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
983 |
77.73
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
991 |
78.36
% |
|
less is
better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Tomb Raider
Low resolution, low details
| Tomb Raider (low resolution, low details) |
fps |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
712.1 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
717.5 |
100.76 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
683.5 |
95.98
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
699.0 |
98.16
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
547.2 |
76.84
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
561.1 |
78.80
% |
|
more is better |
High resolution, high details
| Tomb Raider (high resolution, high details) |
fps |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
74.2 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
74.3 |
100.13 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
72.5 |
97.71
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
72.7 |
97.98
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
70.7 |
95.28
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
71.1 |
95.82
% |
|
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Metro Last Light
Low resolution, low details
| Metro Last Light (low
details, low resolution) |
fps |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
172.64 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
172.28 |
99.79
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
171.38 |
99.27
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
171.98 |
99.62
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
170.13 |
98.55
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
170.49 |
98.75
% |
|
more is better |
High resolution, high details
| Metro Last Light (high
details, high resolution) |
fps |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
51.67 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
52.03 |
100.70 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
51.01 |
98.72
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
51.23 |
99.15
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
50.00 |
96.77
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
50.22 |
97.19
% |
|
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Thief
Low resolution, low details
| Thief (low
details, low resolution) |
fps |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
132.1 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
146.7 |
111.05 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
136.2 |
103.10 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
137.6 |
104.16 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
118.9 |
90.01
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
120.1 |
90.92
% |
|
more is better |
High resolution, high details
| Thief (high
details, high resolution) |
fps |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
66.2 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
66.3 |
100.15 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
65.5 |
98.94
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
65.8 |
99.40
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
63.5 |
95.92
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
64.2 |
96.98
% |
|
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Power Consumption
Idle
| Idle |
Watt |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
70 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
81 |
115.71 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
92 |
131.43 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
94 |
134.29 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
89 |
127.14 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
93 |
132.86 % |
|
less is better |
more is better |
Load
| Load |
Watt |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
229 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
273 |
119.21 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
278 |
121.40 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
280 |
122.27 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
271 |
118.34 % |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
276 |
120.52 % |
|
less is better |
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Performance Rating
| 3D
and Gaming Benchmarks |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
101.59 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
95.73
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
96.32
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
89.60
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
90.32
% |
|
more is better |
| 2D Benchmarks |
Percent |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
100.00 % |
| Intel Core i7-5960X @ Stock - Memory 3000 MHz CL15-15-15-35 |
101.46 % |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory
1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
95.18
% |
| Intel Core i7-4960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
95.76
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 1866 MHz CL9-9-9-24 |
88.96
% |
| Intel Core i7-3960X @ Stock - Memory 2133 MHz CL11-13-13-35 |
89.68
% |
|
more is better |
[pagebreak]
Price comparison
| Model |
Geizhals.eu |
|
Core i7-5960X |
|
|
Core i7-4960X |
|
|
Core i7-3960X |
|
[pagebreak]
Conclusion
There is not a shadow of a doubt that the new Core i7-5960X is a
monolith of a CPU and since Haswell-E is more than just an incremental CPU
upgrade, the entire bundle is rather interesting. The package Intel has made
with their new CPUs, X99 chipset and DDR4 memory is definitely a step forward.
As we've shown in this review it was piece of cake running our Corsair Vengeance
LPX DDR4-2800 memory at DDR4-2133 CL15-15-15-35 as well as at DDR4-3000
CL15-15-15-35. The only thing necessary in order to Corsair modules pass
DDR4-3000 was setting the voltage to 1.35 volt.
Upgrading X79 was almost overdue and with X99 Intel is showing a chipset, that
offers a decent feature mix. Motherboard makers get a solid feature mix in order
to build new high-end models and so far the only thing they're in need to add
additional chips for is USB 3.0 port. The PCH now natively offers up to ten SATA
6Gbps ports which allows for great storage flexibility by for example RAIDing
all these drives. Other than that most motherboard makers are using some of the
PCI Express lanes through which the SATA ports are connected to add SATA Express
ports as well as M.2 sockets with up to x4 (20Gbps) bandwidth. On another note
we'd like to mention again, that there are crucial differences between the Core
i7-5960X/5930K and the Core i7-5820K regarding the number of PCI-Express 3.0
lanes supported. With the Core i7-5820K Intel wants to address more value-minded
customers, which made them cut 12 lanes off the 40 you get with the 5960X/5930K,
which makes you end up with a CPU that offers 28 lanes. This way Intel wants to
close the gap in between the Core i7-4790K and their high-end desktop segment.
Time will tell whether this was a smart move or not. We think it was a
reasonable addition to the portfolio and it allows users to benefit from the new
platform without the need of robbing a bank. On the other side, there is the
very high-end Extreme-CPU that now also has a unique selling point, since there
are eight cores. In the past the high-end X and K CPUs always had the same core
count and the only differences could be seen with clock speeds and cache size.
In the end you were paying quite a lot more for a CPU that's only a tiny little
bit quicker. With the new i7-5XXX generation Intel has chosen a different
approach, since their Extreme Edition CPU now gets eight cores whereas the other
HEDT processors feature six cores.
Let's talk a bit about performance now. At the time of launch we only had a Core
i7-5960X for testing and we're looking forward to also provide you with test
results regarding the Core i7-5930K as well as the Core i7-5820K. Comparing the
Core i7-5960X to its predecessors clearly shows that performance in
multi-threaded benchmarks goes up, because the additional two cores and
therefore four threads but in the case of single-threaded software there is
simply not enough clock speed in order to outperform the previous generations.
We also generated test data with different memory speeds. Increasing the DDR4
memory clock from DDR4-2133 MHz to DDR4-3000 MHz with CL15-15-15-35 latency
shows a little improvement. At this stage we've certainly not reached the end of
the line regarding DDR4 clock speeds and we're expecting memory kits to hit the
market that offer DDR4-4000 MHz. You certainly won't see miracles regarding
performance improvements with such memory but a few percent more every here and
there that is definitely possible if we look at our test data.
Intel's new HEDT processor lineup does not just consist of expensive and fast
CPUs. The world's largest chip maker has been thinking about how to address
different markets in more appropriate ways than before. Giving the Extreme
Edition CPU a true unique selling point is therefore as important as making the
entire X99 platform more affordable by offering the cut-down Core i7-5820K. If
you look only at the raw specs and the resulting performance figures the Core
i7-5960X is clearly made for applications that benefit from multicore
architectures. In our opinion it's a pity that Intel did not play more with
their Turbo mode. We would like to see the CPU clock go up to 4.0 GHz or maybe
even a bit more than that when there is load on only one core. The way it's now
the Core i7-5930K as well as the Core i7-5820K score a few percent better in the
case of single-threaded benchmarks.
Last but not least there are the prices: The Core i7-5960X is going to set you
back 999 US-Dollar, the Core i7-5930K is to cost 583 US-Dollar and the Core
i7-5820K sells at 389 US-Dollar. Prices of motherboards will range from 250
US-Dollar to 500+ US-Dollar and 16 Gigabyte of decent memory will be priced at
roughly 319 US-Dollar. Especially the prices of DDR4 memory might be dropping
quite a bit during the first half year after launch, but still it's clearly
visible that Intel's HEDT lineup is occupying the premium market segment.
Overall we can say, that if you want the best of the best regarding CPU,
platform as well as memory then Intel's new Haswell-E should definitely be
considered and it's especially multithreaded applications that will benefit the
most from this new platform.
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