Intel Core i3-8121U vs Intel Core i5-4470S

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i3-8121U vs Intel Core i5-4470S and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, rendering, machine learning, programming, streaming. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as 3DMark, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, RealBench, 7zip, WPrime, Blender, PassMark, Handbrake, Prime95, PCMark 10, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Borderlands 3
Death Stranding
Last Man Standing
Halo Infinite
Valorant
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Red Dead Redemption 2
Fallout 76
Rainbow Six Siege
DOOM: Eternal
Watch Dogs Legion
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Overwatch
Valheim
Grand Theft Auto V
Apex Legends
Fortnite
Cyberpunk 2077

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-4470S or Intel Core i3-8121U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i3-8121U

51%

Core i5-4470S

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-8121U

51%

Core i5-4470S

51%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, League of Legends (LOL), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.1	90.9
Valorant	102.4	103.3
Cyberpunk 2077	57.3	57.9
Apex Legends	96.2	97.1
Call of Duty Warzone	76.8	77.5
Overwatch	82.9	83.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.6	71.3
DOOM Eternal	51.2	51.7
Warzone	79.9	80.6
Assassin's Creed	86.0	86.8
Valheim	85.0	85.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-8121U

200%

Core i5-4470S

39%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-8121U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-4470S since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4470S
Cinbench 15 Single-core	139	130
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	305	470
Cinbench 20 Single-core	340	320
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	598	1161
Cinbench 23 Single-core	563	704
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2184	2678

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4470S
Single-Core	1939	1738
Multi-Core	4369	4727

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4470S
Single-Core	901	763
Multi-Core	2063	2879

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4470S
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	Unknown	LGA1150
Core name	Cannon Lake	Haswell
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	4
Turbo Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	2.2 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	4 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	1800 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR4/x-2400	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	4 MB	6 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-4470S is 24% better than Core i3-8121U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-4470S has 2 more core than Core i3-8121U. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-8121U is better: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-4470S is better: 24
Although it should be understood that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-8121U and Intel Core i5-4470S before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-8121U - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-8121U specs and review.

Intel Core i5-4470S - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-4470S specs and review.