Core i7 3960X and RST2011 LC: details

Retail versions of the LGA 2011 CPU, probably for the first time ever, are not equipped with stock heat sink. In the package, therefore, we will find only the CPU and the heat sink will be chosen among the various aftermarket models, including two proposed by the Intel itself.

In addition to a traditional stock cooler, oriented to the professional world (and to all those that do not overclock) and which is available at about $20, Intel also offers a high-performance liquid cooler, built on an Asetek basis. Equipped with a single 2200rpm fan with PWM control, the RST2011 Liquid Cooling has performances which may be comparable to the Antec 620. The fan is also equipped with LEDs to provide aesthetic appeal. It will be marketed at a price of about $100.

      

The LGA 2011 CPU present 645 more contacts than the LGA 1366, because of the 40 PCI Express lanes and quad channel memory controller. The mounting of the heat sink to the socket has been modified also to address any potential distortions of the pins in the socket.

 
 

CPUz 1.58 correctly detects the 3960X and DX79SI motherboard data, even if it fails to collect data related to the RAM installed on this platform. We expect a new version with better support for new platforms.

 
 

Note the lowered multiplier from 33x to 12x in idle mode to reduce power consumption during non-use of the CPU. Without manually set the frequency in the BIOS, it's unlikely we will see in CPUz the frequency of 3.3 GHz. In fact the multiplier is raised in full load on all cores to 36x.