Intel Core i7-4790 vs Intel Core i7-8700K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-4790 vs Intel Core i7-8700K and decide which is better for games or normal use for video editing, streaming, machine learning, rendering, programming. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, Gears 5, Blender, Blender, RealBench, 3DMark, WPrime, PCMark 10, SuperPi, Furmark, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, VeraCrypt.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700K or Intel Core i7-4790.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-4790

52%

Core i7-8700K

54%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-8700K is 3% better than Core i7-4790. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-4790

52%

Core i7-8700K

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.1	95.7
Valorant	104.7	108.7
Cyberpunk 2077	58.6	60.9
Apex Legends	98.4	102.2
Call of Duty Warzone	78.5	81.6
Overwatch	84.8	88.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.2	75.0
DOOM Eternal	52.3	54.4
Warzone	81.6	84.8
Assassin's Creed	87.9	91.3
Valheim	86.9	90.3

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 i7-4790

31%

Core i7-8700K

49%

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 i7-8700K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-4790 since it has less power consumption: 84W vs. 95W. 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 machine learning, streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 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 i7-4790	Intel Core i7-8700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	145	208
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	728	1447
Cinbench 20 Single-core	384	487
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1819	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	974	1209
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4564	8960

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

	Intel Core i7-4790	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	2247	2760
Multi-Core	7177	13949

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

	Intel Core i7-4790	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	785	1402
Multi-Core	4018	7536

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-4790	Intel Core i7-8700K
Announcement date	April 01, 2014	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1150	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Haswell	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	4	8
Turbo Frequency	4 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	5 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1480 millions	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	84 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
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 i7-8700K is 2% better than Core i7-4790 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-8700K has 2 more core than Core i7-4790. 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 i7-4790 is better: 3
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700K is better: 32
Although it should be realized that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-4790 and Intel Core i7-8700K before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-4790 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8700K specs and review.