7 Zip – File Compression
File compression testing reveals there’s some strong processor horsepower still in there. I really wasn’t expecting the 4960X to be this much of an improvement. However, the combination of faster memory and improved architecture make a difference.
Cinebench R11.5
The Core i7-4960X loves the 1866MHz memory. The threads are very helpful in helping the system finally break 12 points without having to overclock massively. This is also a good indicator that the Ivy Bridge-E is going to be a good chip for multimedia fiends or individuals and apps that simply need that many threads.
H.264 GraySky
Well, it’s not a huge leap in transcoding performance. It’s enough to render higher frames especially on the 2nd pass which is generally a lot slower than the first. If you’re converting video, you’ll be quite content with the quicker performance.
3DMark 11 – Testing SLI
Again, we’re using two GTX 780s in SLI which produced a very serious score of 18424 versus a single card’s very respectable 11703 score. Now that we know it rocks the Futuremark title, let’s see what it does maxed out in 3D on Metro: Last Light.
Metro Last Light – Maximum Gaming
I just had to check out Metro: Last Light to see if there’s any extra PCIE performance in the new Ivy Bridge-E architecture. It’s so close that I would pretty much call this a tie. The variances are most likely due to the PCIE controller implementation (if used) and architectural differences found on each motherboard plus additional chipset tuning. Overall, game play is very smooth both by the numbers and in real world play.
Thermal Output
Surprisingly, I recorded the 4960X as being a somewhat cool running processor than its predessors. It was very comparable to the Core i7-980X and Core i7-3960X. Since this is a 130 Watt processor, temps reached an average 56 C with the Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme (dual 120mm radiators at 1200 RPMs) between all the cores even though the CPU needs slightly less voltage (VCore). An NZXT HAVIK 140 with dual fans reached 58 C which is about right.
My bottom line recommendation is that you should definitely utilize a high end tower cooler or at least a 120mm liquid cooling system in a push/pull configuration. If you intend to overclock, you’re going to need max fan RPMs on a tower cooler (or a larger one), or any dual 120mm liquid cooling system, with perhaps push/pull fans configured as well.
Final Thoughts – Is the Ivy Bridge-E Extreme?
Summarizing the Intel Core i7-4960X Ivy Bridge Extreme processor is like summarizing the Sandy Bridge Core i7-3960X and Haswell Core i7-4770K in to one thought. While it has a stronger core than Sandy Bridge, the Ivy Bridge and Haswell 22nm processors have very limited contact surface with current CPU coolers. Even though these processors utilize less voltage, there is just enough surface area to transfer heat to the IHS which then travels to the CPU cooler. Thermal physics are limiting overclocks and putting CPU coolers to the test. This is why I recommend utilizing high end proven tower and liquid cooling system coolers to prolong the life of your Ivy Bridge Extreme processor.
That said, the Core i7-4960X processor is a very, very capable hex core, content creation power house. Users will find it very efficient at transcoding media and compiling software. It’s truly meant to do more than game though Intel isn’t going to object to you grabbing one for a super high gaming system. The processor definitely augments NVIDIA SLI nicely whether it be on standard or 3D capable screens. It will definitely feed more extreme triple and quad GPU configurations as well.
The great thing about Ivy Bridge-Extreme is that it’s all about the K-SKUs. Each processor is unlocked which adds more value to each processor meaning there is a very high chance of overclocking. The 4960X starts at $1049.99 US which is about $150-200 more than the 3960X when it launched. And, the 4930K which seems to be the best bang for buck is only $579.99 US, which is comparable to its Sandy Bridge cousin. And, even though the 4820K seems lack luster, remember that it has quad-channel memory support and more PCIE lanes to offer on the X79 chipset. It’s only $329.99 US making a direct competitor to the Core i7 4770K on Haswell.
In the end, I would call the Ivy Bridge-Extreme a standard refresh that will benefit true power users, that will potentially help prolong the investment in your Intel X79 platform as well. And at the top of the performance pyramid, it earns our High Performance Award.
Pros
- 6 Core – 12 Thread computing power
- All kinds of PCIE Lane bandwidth support
- Quad channel 1866MHz DDR3 support
- Fastest CPU on the market
- Costs slightly less for power users this time
Cons
- Costs the usual premium
- Limited thermal transfer surface and slightly hotter than previous generation
- Limited chipset refresh support
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10.0
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