Intel Core i5-4590 vs Intel Core i7-4790K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-4590 vs Intel Core i7-4790K tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, Blender, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, Gears 5, Blender, Furmark, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, MATLAB, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-4790K or Intel Core i5-4590.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-4590

51%

Core i7-4790K

52%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-4790K is 1% better than Core i5-4590. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-4590

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 of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Control, Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.4	92.8
Valorant	103.9	105.5
Cyberpunk 2077	58.2	59.1
Apex Legends	97.6	99.2
Call of Duty Warzone	77.9	79.1
Overwatch	84.1	85.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.7	72.8
DOOM Eternal	51.9	52.8
Warzone	81.0	82.3
Assassin's Creed	87.2	88.6
Valheim	86.2	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: 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-4590

39%

Core i7-4790K

46%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-4790K is more energy efficient than the Core i5-4590 since it has less power consumption: 84W vs. 88W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its 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 check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-4590	Intel Core i7-4790K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	144	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	505	854
Cinbench 20 Single-core	319	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1227	1982
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1024	1069
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4088	4936

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

	Intel Core i5-4590	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	2060	2491
Multi-Core	5285	8030

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

	Intel Core i5-4590	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	1005	1230
Multi-Core	3327	4747

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-4590	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	3.7 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.3 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	No	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 17% better than Core i5-4590 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 i5-4590 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-4790K is better: 26
All the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-4590 and Intel Core i7-4790K before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-4590 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-4790K specs and review.