Intel Core i7-4960X Pro Reviews

The Ivy Bridge-powered Core i7-4960X is an anachronistic chip. Already superceded in terms of architecture by the Haswell range of processors earlier this year, IVB-E is Intel saying that it can release high-performance CPUs whenever it so wishes, with whatever architecture it deems fit - a thought that's underscored by AMD not having the necessary FX firepower to compete in the upper echelons of the enthusiast space. A little better than the last-generation SNB-E Core i7-3960X in cases where applications can take advantages of the 6C/12T architecture, Core i7-4960X can, in fact, be slower than Haswell-based Core i7-4770K in everyday situations. Much like its predecessor, Core i7-4960X's provenance is from the server space - this is a server/workstation chip massaged into consumer form. The $990 pricing reflects this fact, too, so we can only recommend it to the small band of enthusiasts who want the absolute pinnacle of desktop performance and are in a position to pay for it. For everyone else - and that's 95 per cent-plus of you out there - the 4th Generation Core (Haswell) chips offer far superior value for money.

Benchmarks show that the i7-4960X is the most powerful processor around in multithreaded tasks and when running intensive applications because of its six cores, but it's marginally slower than Haswell in less demanding single-threaded tasks. Its mixed performance, ageing ancillary hardware and stratospheric price means this is only worth buying if you really do need the extra power that its six cores can provide.

An impressively quick processor that excels at multitasking, but its high price isn’t in line with its performance

Overall the Core i7-3960X delivered as we expected, the letdown comes from the Intel X79 chipset which offers nothing over the Z68. This is going to be a real problem for LGA2011 motherboards, as we expect them to fetch a price premium over their LGA1155 counterparts, yet most will likely be equipped with the same features. This is going to be the Achilles' heel of Intel’s flagship platform regardless of the added benefits that are found here and there.

The X79 Chipset has been a very capable enthusiasts chipset for awhile now but some features I think should really be available to the high end at this point such as more than two SATA 6G ports. also more Intel chipset USB3.0 ports should also be on the bill as well so i think being able to offer at least some sort of concessions in this form from Intel would have been a huge plus in this launch. Overall the new Ivy Bridge architecture or should I say the not so new Ivy Bridge architecture got a -E and we are off to the races. The chip is not bad as it increases performance by a small amount but the 3-6% I observed is not really enough that I would recommend users to ditch their 3960X and jump to the 4960X. Do keep in mind that BIOS maturity is questionable so the performance could easily increase but as of now I would have to label it as unimpressive as it simply does not offer enough to differentiate itself from the outgoing 3960X. If there was lets say a new chipset/board taht would offer more tangible features then I would say jump for it but for existing X79 users there simply is no reason to jump.

So should you buy an Ivy Bridge-E processor over a Haswell processor for your next system? In my view the ideal buyer for an IVB-E rig is one that wants to use at least two graphics cards, possibly three or four, needs expansion for PCIe storage and wants the ability to crank the memory capacity up near the peak. If you don't meet that criteria, chances are good you'll get much better value and features by selecting a Haswell system. Only the select few need apply for the Core i7-4960X Ivy Bridge-E processor - the fastest and most expensive desktop processor on the market. If you want the best of the best for your gaming PC or workstation then you won't do better than this.

Intel's Extreme Edition processors have always been the parts for the uncompromising power user. As such they carry with them a price tag that may or may not be out of reach for the rest of the market. For those who can and do use the processing power, memory bandwidth, and PCIe bandwidth, it's a win-win part that is a fast and efficient no compromise solution.

The Intel Core i7-4960X processor updates the CPU architecture to the 22nm-based Ivy Bridge, but makes precious few additional changes.

The Intel Core i7-4960X is the fastest desktop processor that we have ever tested, but since the performance gains are minimal, it is hard to get really excited about! Ivy Bridge-E performance is leaps and bounds ahead of AMD and offers better energy efficiency than the previous Intel Sandy Bridge-E processors, so it certainly has a place in the market!

If you’re looking for the best performance possible from a consumer CPU, the Core i7-4960X certainly outpaces its processors—especially when overclocked. And while the newer Ivy Bridge-E architecture doesn’t deliver stunningly faster performance at stock speeds, it does manage to drop the chip’s thermal design power (TDP) down to 130 watts, versus the 150-watt TDP of older Sandy Bridge-E chips. This will likely help the newer chip achieve better overclocks without larger or more complicated cooling setups. Know, though, that overclockability varies from chip sample to chip sample, so your mileage may vary. The roughly-$1,000 Extreme Edition chips have always been aimed at professionals and enthusiasts with deep pockets. This latest offering is no different. It’s hard to recommend to most users, given the plethora of lesser-priced, but still very fast, alternatives.

The i7-4960X isn’t a processor that’s supposed to appeal to everyone, nor does it strive to hit an optimal price / performance ratio. Rather, it is a flagship product in every sense of the word. This is Intel’s fastest chip which is targeted towards X58 and X48 users who find their system growing a bit long in the tooth and in that respect, it succeeds quite well.