Intel Core i7-4770K vs Intel Core i7-8550U

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i7-4770K vs Intel Core i7-8550U tests and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, machine learning, programming, streaming. Here you can find useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Prime95, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, Gears 5, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, Blender, Handbrake, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Furmark, 7zip, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8550U or Intel Core i7-4770K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-4770K

52%

Core i7-8550U

51%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-4770K is 1% better than Core i7-8550U. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-4770K

52%

Core i7-8550U

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. 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 other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.2	91.9
Valorant	105.9	104.4
Cyberpunk 2077	59.3	58.5
Apex Legends	99.6	98.1
Call of Duty Warzone	79.5	78.3
Overwatch	85.8	84.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.1	72.0
DOOM Eternal	53.0	52.2
Warzone	82.6	81.4
Assassin's Creed	89.0	87.7
Valheim	87.9	86.6

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 comparing 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. 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 i7-4770K

53%

Core i7-8550U

228%

To make a finishing 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 i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-4770K since it has less power consumption: 84W vs. 15W. 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores 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 check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports 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 i7-4770K	Intel Core i7-8550U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	141	167
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	709	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	361	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1769	1211
Cinbench 23 Single-core	961	979
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4593	3111

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

	Intel Core i7-4770K	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	2172	2072
Multi-Core	7083	5970

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

	Intel Core i7-4770K	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	1339	1027
Multi-Core	5120	3788

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 in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-4770K	Intel Core i7-8550U
Announcement date	April 01, 2013	April 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	LGA1150	FC-BGA1356
Core name	Haswell	Kaby Lake R
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	4	8
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	1.8 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	5 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1820 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	84 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	37.5 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 i7-4770K is 48% better than Core i7-8550U 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 i7-4770K is better: 22
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8550U is better: 8
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-4770K and Intel Core i7-8550U before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-4770K specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.