Intel Xeon E5620 vs Intel Core i7-960

Comparative analysis of Intel Xeon E5620 and Intel Core i7-960 processors for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Performance, Memory, Compatibility, Security & Reliability, Advanced Technologies, Virtualization. Benchmark processor performance analysis: PassMark - Single thread mark, PassMark - CPU mark, Geekbench 4 - Single Core, Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core, 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), 3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score.

Intel Xeon E5620

Intel Core i7-960

Differences

Reasons to consider the Intel Xeon E5620

CPU is newer: launch date 4 month(s) later
Around 14% higher maximum core temperature: 77.6°C vs 67.9°C
A newer manufacturing process allows for a more powerful, yet cooler running processor: 32 nm vs 45 nm
Around 50% more L3 cache; more data can be stored in the L3 cache for quick access later
12x more maximum memory size: 288 GB vs 24 GB
Around 63% lower typical power consumption: 80 Watt vs 130 Watt
Around 95% better performance in PassMark - CPU mark: 6553 vs 3366
Around 39% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s): 1.552 vs 1.115
Around 5% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s): 62.536 vs 59.327
Around 25% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s): 0.469 vs 0.374
6.5x better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s): 2.559 vs 0.395
Around 49% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s): 7.383 vs 4.942

Specifications (specs)
Launch date	March 2010 vs October 2009
Maximum core temperature	77.6°C vs 67.9°C
Manufacturing process technology	32 nm vs 45 nm
L3 cache	12288 KB (shared) vs 8192 KB (shared)
Maximum memory size	288 GB vs 24 GB
Max number of CPUs in a configuration	2 vs 1
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	80 Watt vs 130 Watt
Benchmarks
PassMark - CPU mark	6553 vs 3366
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	1.552 vs 1.115
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	62.536 vs 59.327
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	0.469 vs 0.374
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	2.559 vs 0.395
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	7.383 vs 4.942

Reasons to consider the Intel Core i7-960

Around 30% higher clock speed: 3.46 GHz vs 2.66 GHz
Around 33% better performance in PassMark - Single thread mark: 1460 vs 1098
Around 28% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Single Core: 565 vs 442
Around 5% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core: 2198 vs 2092

Specifications (specs)
Maximum frequency	3.46 GHz vs 2.66 GHz
Benchmarks
PassMark - Single thread mark	1460 vs 1098
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	565 vs 442
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	2198 vs 2092

Compare benchmarks

CPU 1: Intel Xeon E5620
CPU 2: Intel Core i7-960

PassMark - Single thread mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

1098

1460

PassMark - CPU mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

6553

3366

Geekbench 4 - Single Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

442

565

Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

2092

2198

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

1.552

1.115

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

CPU 1

CPU 2

62.536

59.327

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

CPU 1

CPU 2

0.469

0.374

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

2.559

0.395

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)

CPU 1

CPU 2

7.383

4.942

Name	Intel Xeon E5620	Intel Core i7-960
PassMark - Single thread mark	1098	1460
PassMark - CPU mark	6553	3366
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	442	565
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	2092	2198
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	1.552	1.115
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	62.536	59.327
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	0.469	0.374
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	2.559	0.395
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	7.383	4.942
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score		0

Compare specifications (specs)

	Intel Xeon E5620	Intel Core i7-960
Essentials
Architecture codename	Westmere EP	Bloomfield
Launch date	March 2010	October 2009
Launch price (MSRP)	$35	$316
Place in performance rating	2678	2772
Price now	$25.99	$99.99
Processor Number	E5620	i7-960
Series	Legacy Intel® Xeon® Processors	Legacy Intel® Core™ Processors
Status	Launched	Discontinued
Value for money (0-100)	55.06	17.14
Vertical segment	Server	Desktop
Performance
64 bit support
Base frequency	2.40 GHz	3.20 GHz
Bus Speed	5.86 GT/s QPI	4.8 GT/s QPI
Die size	239 mm	263 mm2
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	12288 KB (shared)	8192 KB (shared)
Manufacturing process technology	32 nm	45 nm
Maximum core temperature	77.6°C	67.9°C
Maximum frequency	2.66 GHz	3.46 GHz
Number of cores	4	4
Number of QPI Links	2	1
Number of threads	8	8
Transistor count	1170 million	731 million
VID voltage range	0.750V-1.350V	0.800V-1.375V
Front-side bus (FSB)		1333 MHz
Memory
ECC memory support
Max memory channels	3	3
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
Maximum memory size	288 GB	24 GB
Supported memory types	DDR3 800/1066	DDR3 800/1066
Compatibility
Low Halogen Options Available
Max number of CPUs in a configuration	2	1
Package Size	42.5mm X 45mm	42.5mm x 45.0mm
Sockets supported	FCLGA1366	FCLGA1366
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	80 Watt	130 Watt
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
Physical Address Extensions (PAE)	40-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)