Intel Core i5-4460 vs Intel Core i7-4790K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i5-4460 vs Intel Core i7-4790K and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning, programming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like 3DMark, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Blender, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, AIDA64, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Furmark, SuperPi, 7zip, RealBench, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, MATLAB, Gears 5.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-4790K or Intel Core i5-4460.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-4460

51%

Core i7-4790K

52%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-4790K is 1% better than Core i5-4460. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-4460

51%

Core i7-4790K

52%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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 summary table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, League of Legends (LOL), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.0	92.8
Valorant	103.4	105.5
Cyberpunk 2077	57.9	59.1
Apex Legends	97.2	99.2
Call of Duty Warzone	77.6	79.1
Overwatch	83.8	85.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.4	72.8
DOOM Eternal	51.7	52.8
Warzone	80.7	82.3
Assassin's Creed	86.9	88.6
Valheim	85.8	87.6

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-4460

34%

Core i7-4790K

46%

To make a finishing 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 i7-4790K is more energy efficient than the Core i5-4460 as it consumes less power: 84W vs. 88W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to count 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 programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program 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 run, 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 i5-4460	Intel Core i7-4790K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	132	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	477	854
Cinbench 20 Single-core	325	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1177	1982
Cinbench 23 Single-core	714	1069
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2716	4936

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

	Intel Core i5-4460	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	1877	2491
Multi-Core	4794	8030

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

	Intel Core i5-4460	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	881	1230
Multi-Core	2955	4747

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-4460	Intel Core i7-4790K
Announcement date	April 01, 2014	April 01, 2014
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA1150	LGA1150
Core name	Haswell	Devil's Canyon
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	4	4
Turbo Frequency	3.4 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	22 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1420 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	84 W	88 W
Memory type	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
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 i7-4790K is 19% better than Core i5-4460 in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i5-4460 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-4790K is better: 25
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-4460 and Intel Core i7-4790K before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-4460 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-4790K specs and review.