Processors progressed much in 2012. The LGA1155 and AM3+ platforms were improved, and the whole new FM2 platform entered the market. As a result, the desktop version of LGA2011 was cannibalized and paled into insignificance. Its cheapest CPU, Core i7-3820, yields to Core i7-3770, which offers integrated graphics, four cores, and newer microarchitecture for the same money. Moreover, the prices of LGA2011 motherboards start from $200 when you can get a decent LGA1155 one for just $100 (or a simpler one for just $50).

The cheapest LGA2011 processor that makes sense is Core i7-3930K. It has no counterparts but costs a solid $600, staying above the middle range. Both Core i7-3930K and extreme Core i7-3960X remained the most powerful desktop solutions, even though they were released (and reviewed) a year ago. Today we can dust off those results: the brand new extreme Core i7-3970X is out!

The new Intel processor has six cores. The basic Sandy Bridge-E design features eight, but in our case two cores and a part of the L3 cache are locked. In Core i7-3970X the standard core clock is increased by 200 MHz to 3.5 GHz (vs. the 3.3 GHz of i7-3960X). Besides, the maximum core clock is increased by 100 GHz, reaching a psychological barrier of 4 GHz (AMD has done it first with FX-8150). Under full load the 12 threads of Core i7-3970X require much power, so the TDP is increased to 150 W, the highest for Intel desktop processors as yet (with the exception of Core 2 Extreme Q9775).