Intel Core i5-9300HF vs Intel Core i7-4790K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-9300HF vs Intel Core i7-4790K tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, SuperPi, MATLAB, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, 3DMark, Gears 5, RealBench, UserBenchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Handbrake.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-4790K or Intel Core i5-9300HF.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-9300HF

52%

Core i7-4790K

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9300HF

52%

Core i7-4790K

52%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.3	92.8
Valorant	104.9	105.5
Cyberpunk 2077	58.7	59.1
Apex Legends	98.6	99.2
Call of Duty Warzone	78.7	79.1
Overwatch	85.0	85.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.4	72.8
DOOM Eternal	52.5	52.8
Warzone	81.8	82.3
Assassin's Creed	88.1	88.6
Valheim	87.1	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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So 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 i5-9300HF

81%

Core i7-4790K

46%

To make a final decision 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 i5-9300HF is more energy efficient than the Core i7-4790K since it has less power consumption: 45W vs. 88W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since 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 i5-9300HF	Intel Core i7-4790K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	156	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	593	854
Cinbench 20 Single-core	422	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2111	1982
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1024	1069
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4015	4936

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

	Intel Core i5-9300HF	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	2332	2491
Multi-Core	7619	8030

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

	Intel Core i5-9300HF	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	1100	1230
Multi-Core	4228	4747

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-9300HF	Intel Core i7-4790K
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 01, 2014
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1440	LGA1150
Core name	Coffee Lake	Devil's Canyon
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	4
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	2.4 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	1420 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	88 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Max. Memory	128 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.8 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 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 40% better than Core i5-9300HF 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 i5-9300HF is better: 10
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-4790K is better: 21
All the figures in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-9300HF and Intel Core i7-4790K before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-9300HF specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-4790K specs and review.