Core i3-10320 vs Core i7-4960X

Core i3-10320

4 Cores8 Thrd91 WWMax: 4.6 GHz2020

Core i7-4960X

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 4 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-10320

4 / 8

9,972

+0.4%

9,935

0.0%

About PassMark

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.

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

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-10320

#260

Core i5-12500T

MSRP: $302|Avg: $214

107%

#261

Core i9-13900

MSRP: $549|Avg: $599

106%

#262

Core i7-11700

MSRP: $323|Avg: $274

106%

#262

Core i7-8700K

MSRP: $359|Avg: $160

53%

#263

Core i9-13900T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $570

105%

#264

Processor 300T

MSRP: $82|Avg: $82

104%

#265

Athlon 3000G

MSRP: $49|Avg: $60

104%

#266

Athlon 220GE

MSRP: $65|Avg: $60

104%

#267

Ryzen 9 3900X

MSRP: $499|Avg: $441

104%

#268

Core i5-10500

MSRP: $200|Avg: $178

103%

#269

Celeron G6900T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $50

103%

#270

Core i9-10850K

MSRP: $453|Avg: $300

103%

#271

Core i9-13900E

MSRP: $554|Avg: $554

103%

#272

Core i9-9820X

MSRP: $889|Avg: $280

103%

#273

Core i9-9900X

MSRP: $989|Avg: $300

101%

#274

Core i7-9700K

MSRP: $385|Avg: $200

101%

#274

Ryzen 7 1800X

MSRP: $499|Avg: $120

46%

#275

Core i3-10320

MSRP: $154|Avg: $140

100%

#276

Core i5-9600KF

MSRP: $262|Avg: $150

100%

#277

Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE

MSRP: $180|Avg: $180

100%

#278

Core i7-14701TE

MSRP: $392|Avg: $390

99%

#278

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $116

43%

#279

Core i9-11900KF

MSRP: $513|Avg: $349

99%

#279

Ryzen Threadripper 1920X

MSRP: $799|Avg: $265

41%

#280

Athlon Silver 3050GE

MSRP: $75|Avg: $65

98%

#280

Core i7-7820X

MSRP: $599|Avg: $198

40%

#281

Core i7-9700E

MSRP: $259|Avg: $180

98%

#282

Core i7-11700K

MSRP: $399|Avg: $350

98%

#283

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

MSRP: $329|Avg: $330

97%

#283

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

MSRP: $799|Avg: $200

39%

#284

Core i7-14701E

MSRP: $392|Avg: $380

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4960X

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

31047%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

29337%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

21301%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

6417%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

5083%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

4447%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2547%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2514%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2289%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2288%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2263%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2202%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2171%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2162%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2143%

#998

Core i7-4960X

MSRP: $990|Avg: $136

100%

#999

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

98%

#1001

Core 2 Duo E4400

MSRP: $113|Avg: $20

97%

#1002

Pentium D 915

MSRP: $74|Avg: $10

95%

#1003

Core 2 Quad Q9400

MSRP: $229|Avg: $25

94%

#1004

Core i5-655K

MSRP: $216|Avg: $55

93%

#1005

Celeron 450

MSRP: $53|Avg: $5

93%

#1006

Core 2 Duo E4600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $9.6

93%

#1008

Core i7-870S

MSRP: $300|Avg: $80

92%

#1009

Core 2 Duo E6540

MSRP: $163|Avg: $15

91%

#1010

Celeron 430

MSRP: $49|Avg: $10

91%

#1011

Athlon X2 BE-2300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $80

90%

#1012

Core i7-875K

MSRP: $353|Avg: $175

90%

#1013

Core i5-670

MSRP: $284|Avg: $100

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i3-10320 (2020) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4-2666, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i3-10320	Core i7-4960X
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($140)	✅ More affordable ($136)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Comet Lake-S (2020) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-E (2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4960X (2013) relies on 22 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i3-10320	Core i7-4960X
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+3%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($140)	✅ More affordable ($136)

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.

Core i3-10320 Benchmark Check

Core i7-4960X Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-10320 and Core i7-4960X

Core i3-10320

The Core i3-10320 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-S (2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 9,972 points. Launch price was $162.

Core i7-4960X

The Core i7-4960X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 9,935 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-10320 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-4960X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-4960X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i3-10320 versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-4960X — a 14% clock advantage for the Core i3-10320 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i3-10320 uses the Comet Lake-S (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-4960X uses Ivy Bridge-E (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-10320 scores 9,972 against the Core i7-4960X's 9,935 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-10320. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i3-10320 vs 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-4960X.

Feature	Core i3-10320	Core i7-4960X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+15%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+6%	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	15 MB (total)+88%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake-S (2020)	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)
PassMark	9,972	9,935

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-10320 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-4960X uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-10320	Core i7-4960X
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	40

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-10320) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-4960X). Primary use case: Core i7-4960X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i3-10320	Core i7-4960X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-10320 launched at $154 MSRP, while the Core i7-4960X debuted at $990. At current prices ($140 vs $136), the Core i7-4960X is $4 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-10320 delivers 71.2 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-4960X — making the Core i7-4960X the 2.5% better value option.