Atom Z3740 vs Core i7-960

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Atom Z3740 is positioned at rank 172 and the Core i7-960 is on rank 979, so the Atom Z3740 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Atom Z3740

#49

Core i9-12900HX

MSRP: $606|Avg: N/A

98%

#160

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

347%

#161

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

342%

#162

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

314%

#163

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

313%

#164

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

310%

#166

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

299%

#167

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

287%

#168

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

286%

#169

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

279%

#172

Atom Z3740

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#173

Celeron N3060

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

100%

#176

Core 2 Duo T9300

MSRP: $316|Avg: $20

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-960

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

28338%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

26776%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

19442%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5857%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4639%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

4059%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2325%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2294%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2089%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2089%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2065%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2010%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1982%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1974%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1956%

#978

E1-1500

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

100%

#979

Core i7-960

MSRP: $309|Avg: $110

100%

#980

Core i5-2405S

MSRP: $309|Avg: $120

100%

#981

Celeron 420

MSRP: $39|Avg: $15

99%

#982

Athlon II X4 615e

MSRP: $186|Avg: $30

99%

#983

Athlon X2 BE-2350

MSRP: $90|Avg: $10

98%

#984

Core 2 Quad Q8300

MSRP: $179|Avg: $10

97%

#985

Core i7-860

MSRP: $284|Avg: $30

96%

#986

Core i7-870

MSRP: $300|Avg: $80

96%

#987

Athlon 64 X2 5000+

MSRP: $136|Avg: $42

95%

#988

Core i3-6102E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

95%

#989

Pentium Dual-Core E2160

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

95%

#990

Pentium Dual-Core E2210

MSRP: $98|Avg: $15

93%

#991

Core 2 Duo E7500

MSRP: $113|Avg: $10

93%

#992

Core 2 Quad Q9505

MSRP: $213|Avg: $150

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-960 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Atom Z3740 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Atom Z3740	Core i7-960
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($110)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Atom Z3740	Core i7-960
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($110)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Atom Z3740 Benchmark Check

Core i7-960 Benchmark Check

Loading...

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Atom Z3740 and Core i7-960

Atom Z3740

The Atom Z3740 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.33 GHz, with boost up to 1.86 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: UTFCBGA1380. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,380 points. Launch price was $32.

Core i7-960

The Core i7-960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.46 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,400 points. Launch price was $316.

⚡

Processing Power

The Atom Z3740 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core i7-960's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.86 GHz on the Atom Z3740 versus 3.46 GHz on the Core i7-960 — a 60.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-960 (base: 1.33 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Atom Z3740 uses the Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-960 uses Bloomfield (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Atom Z3740 scores 3,380 against the Core i7-960's 3,400 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i7-960. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Atom Z3740 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-960.

Feature	Atom Z3740	Core i7-960
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	1.86 GHz	3.46 GHz+86%
Base Clock	1.33 GHz	3.2 GHz+141%
L3 Cache	0 kB	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-T (2013−2014)	Bloomfield (2008−2010)
PassMark	3,380	3,400

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Atom Z3740 uses the UTFCBGA1380 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-960 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Atom Z3740	Core i7-960
Socket	UTFCBGA1380	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR3-1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—