Core i7-5960X Extreme Edition Review: Intel’s Overdue Desktop 8-Core Is Here

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by Rob Williams on August 29, 2014 in Processors

In late 2011, I wagered that Intel would follow-up its i7-3960X with an eight-core model within the year. That didn’t happen. Instead, we have had to wait nearly three years since that release to finally see an eight-core Intel desktop chip become a reality. Now for the big question: Was the company’s Core i7-5960X worth the wait?

Page 11 – Gaming: Futuremark 3DMark

Game benchmarks stand to see the least amount of gain in comparison to our other tests, but they’re necessary for the sake of completeness. Also, while we benchmark hands-on for our graphics card content, we opt for synthetic testing here, as we’re utilizing the same GPU across each setup.

First up is the ever-popular 3DMark benchmark, and for the sake of completeness, we run all two of the four tests (Sky Diver and Fire Strike).

Futuremark 3DMark

Intel Core i7-5960X - Futuremark 3DMark

Intel Core i7-5960X - Futuremark 3DMark

I admit I’m a little surprised to see such gains in the overall test scores, but if we have one thing to thank, it might be the higher physics scores. Intel told us that we should expect big gains there, and lo and behold, we got them. Still, I have to stress that 3DMark isn’t a game, so seeing this kind of gain in the real world is going to be tough.

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Rob Williams

Rob founded Techgage in 2005 to be an 'Advocate of the consumer', focusing on fair reviews and keeping people apprised of news in the tech world. Catering to both enthusiasts and businesses alike; from desktop gaming to professional workstations, and all the supporting software.

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