Intel Core i7-10700K vs Intel Core i7-4790K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i7-10700K vs Intel Core i7-4790K and see which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, programming, streaming, video editing. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A thorough 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 synthetic type tests such as Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Blender, Handbrake, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, Prime95, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, SuperPi, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, VeraCrypt, PassMark, 3DMark, WPrime, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-4790K or Intel Core i7-10700K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-10700K

55%

Core i7-4790K

52%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-10700K is 5% better than Core i7-4790K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-10700K

55%

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 the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, 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: Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	98.2	92.8
Valorant	111.6	105.5
Cyberpunk 2077	62.5	59.1
Apex Legends	104.9	99.2
Call of Duty Warzone	83.7	79.1
Overwatch	90.4	85.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.0	72.8
DOOM Eternal	55.8	52.8
Warzone	87.0	82.3
Assassin's Creed	93.7	88.6
Valheim	92.6	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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-10700K

34%

Core i7-4790K

46%

To make a final choice 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 i7-10700K as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 88W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 can use only one core to run, and all the advantages 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 i7-10700K	Intel Core i7-4790K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	228	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2344	854
Cinbench 20 Single-core	524	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5292	1982
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1309	1069
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12678	4936

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

	Intel Core i7-10700K	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	3051	2491
Multi-Core	19514	8030

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

	Intel Core i7-10700K	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	1298	1230
Multi-Core	9987	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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-10700K	Intel Core i7-4790K
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 01, 2014
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	LGA1150
Core name	Comet Lake	Devil's Canyon
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	4
Turbo Frequency	5.1 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	8	4
Threads	16	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	6800 millions	1420 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	88 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Max. Memory	128 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 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 5% better than Core i7-10700K in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-10700K has 4 more core than Core i7-4790K. 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 i7-10700K is better: 31
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-4790K is better: 3
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-10700K and Intel Core i7-4790K before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-10700K specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-4790K specs and review.