Intel Core i7-870 vs Intel Core i7-950

Comparative analysis of Intel Core i7-870 and Intel Core i7-950 processors for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Performance, Memory, Compatibility, Peripherals, Security & Reliability, Advanced Technologies, Virtualization. Benchmark processor performance analysis: PassMark - Single thread mark, PassMark - CPU mark, Geekbench 4 - Single Core, Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core, 3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score, CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s).

Intel Core i7-870

Intel Core i7-950

Differences

Reasons to consider the Intel Core i7-870

CPU is newer: launch date 3 month(s) later
Around 8% higher clock speed: 3.60 GHz vs 3.33 GHz
Around 7% higher maximum core temperature: 72.7°C vs 67.9°C
Around 37% lower typical power consumption: 95 Watt vs 130 Watt
Around 2% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Single Core: 547 vs 535

Specifications (specs)
Launch date	September 2009 vs June 2009
Maximum frequency	3.60 GHz vs 3.33 GHz
Maximum core temperature	72.7°C vs 67.9°C
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	95 Watt vs 130 Watt
Benchmarks
PassMark - Single thread mark	1385 vs 1379
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	547 vs 535
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	1.029 vs 1.028

Reasons to consider the Intel Core i7-950

Around 50% higher maximum memory size: 24 GB vs 16 GB
Around 3% better performance in PassMark - CPU mark: 3210 vs 3129
Around 3% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core: 2092 vs 2032
Around 2% better performance in 3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score: 2502 vs 2453
Around 15% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s): 61.244 vs 53.478
Around 10% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s): 0.376 vs 0.342
Around 11% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s): 1.712 vs 1.541
Around 10% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s): 5.077 vs 4.602

Specifications (specs)
Maximum memory size	24 GB vs 16 GB
Benchmarks
PassMark - CPU mark	3210 vs 3129
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	2092 vs 2032
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score	2502 vs 2453
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	61.244 vs 53.478
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	0.376 vs 0.342
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	1.712 vs 1.541
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	5.077 vs 4.602

Compare benchmarks

CPU 1: Intel Core i7-870
CPU 2: Intel Core i7-950

PassMark - Single thread mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

1385

1379

PassMark - CPU mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

3129

3210

Geekbench 4 - Single Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

547

535

Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

2032

2092

3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score

CPU 1

CPU 2

2453

2502

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

1.029

1.028

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

53.478

61.244

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

0.342

0.376

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

1.541

1.712

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

4.602

5.077

Name	Intel Core i7-870	Intel Core i7-950
PassMark - Single thread mark	1385	1379
PassMark - CPU mark	3129	3210
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	547	535
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	2032	2092
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score	2453	2502
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	1.029	1.028
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	53.478	61.244
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	0.342	0.376
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	1.541	1.712
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	4.602	5.077

Compare specifications (specs)

	Intel Core i7-870	Intel Core i7-950
Essentials
Architecture codename	Lynnfield	Bloomfield
Launch date	September 2009	June 2009
Launch price (MSRP)	$197	$290
Place in performance rating	2695	2681
Price now	$98.99	$329.99
Processor Number	i7-870	i7-950
Series	Legacy Intel® Core™ Processors	Legacy Intel® Core™ Processors
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued
Value for money (0-100)	15.90	4.96
Vertical segment	Desktop	Desktop
Performance
64 bit support
Base frequency	2.93 GHz	3.06 GHz
Bus Speed	2.5 GT/s DMI	4.8 GT/s QPI
Die size	296 mm2	263 mm2
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	8192 KB (shared)	8192 KB (shared)
Manufacturing process technology	45 nm	45 nm
Maximum core temperature	72.7°C	67.9°C
Maximum frequency	3.60 GHz	3.33 GHz
Number of cores	4	4
Number of threads	8	8
Transistor count	774 million	731 million
VID voltage range	0.6500V-1.4000V	0.800V-1.375V
Front-side bus (FSB)		1333 MHz
Number of QPI Links		1
Memory
Max memory channels	2	3
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
Maximum memory size	16 GB	24 GB
Supported memory types	DDR3 1066/1333	DDR3 800/1066
Compatibility
Low Halogen Options Available
Max number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Package Size	37.5mm x 37.5mm	42.5mm x 45.0mm
Sockets supported	LGA1156	FCLGA1366
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	95 Watt	130 Watt
Peripherals
Max number of PCIe lanes	16
PCI Express revision	2.0
PCIe configurations	1x16, 2x8
Security & Reliability
Execute Disable Bit (EDB)
Intel® Trusted Execution technology (TXT)
Advanced Technologies
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology
Idle States
Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	Intel® SSE4.2
Intel 64
Intel® AES New Instructions
Intel® Demand Based Switching
Intel® Hyper-Threading technology
Intel® Turbo Boost technology
Intel® vPro™ Platform Eligibility
Physical Address Extensions (PAE)	36-bit	36-bit
Thermal Monitoring
Virtualization
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)