Intel Core i7 5960X Haswell-E (8-core) CPU Review

1. Haswell-E - Warning; Contains an Octa-core2. Haswell-E Flagship - The 8-core Core i7 5960X3. Overclocking the 5960X - Haswell shines with 8 cores4. Testing Methodology5. Tests: Processor-related6. Tests: Processor & Memory-related7. Tests: System-related8. Tests: Gaming-related9. Technical: Temperatures & Power Consumption10. Closing Thoughts11. View All Pages

3DMark

We used 3DMark‘s ‘Fire Strike’ benchmark which is designed to be used on gaming PCs. We opted for the Normal setting, NOT the Extreme mode.

PCMark v2

We used the ‘Home’ test in PCMark 8 v2 to analyse the general-usage performance of each processor configuration.

WinRAR

WinRAR’s built in benchmark and hardware test can help us outline the performance differentials between each processor configuration. We record the amount of data processed after a 30-second run.

The eight-core part continues to take benchmark leads like there's no tomorrow. Devil's Canyon's fast 4790K does however manage to put a blip on the HSW-E chip's results by outperforming it on a stock-vs-stock basis in PCMark 8.

In the same time period, the 5960X-based system was able to process 36% more data than the 4960X configuration in WinRAR. And that lead extended to 42% when both chips were overclocked.

For work that involves a large amount of archival processes, Haswell-E and its eight cores show their worth, especially when overclocked.

Become a Patron!