CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4590T and Intel Celeron G6900T are both 35-watt desktop processors, but they represent two very different eras of Intel design. The i5-4590T is a 2014 Haswell part with 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Celeron G6900T is a 2022 Alder Lake chip with just 2 cores and 2 threads. Across seven shared benchmarks, the i5-4590T wins six of them, while the Celeron takes a decisive victory in one. The average benchmark scores are remarkably close, 1340 for the i5 versus 1321 for the Celeron, but the distribution of those scores tells a story of contrasting strengths.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Core i5-4590T has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Celeron G6900T has 2 cores and 2 threads. This gives the i5-4590T a 2-core advantage on paper.

Q: How does the single-core performance compare?

A: The Celeron G6900T wins the Geekbench single-core test with a score of 1422, which is 35.9% ahead of the i5-4590T’s score of 911. This is the only benchmark where the Celeron comes out ahead.

Q: What is the multi-core performance difference?

A: The i5-4590T leads in every multi-core benchmark. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 3445 versus 3117 for the Celeron, a 10.5% advantage. The gap is smallest in Geekbench multi-core, where the i5 scores 2540 against 2460, a 3.3% lead.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The i5-4590T has a boost clock of 3.00 GHz, while the Celeron G6900T has no boost clock listed, meaning it runs at its base clock of 2.80 GHz. The i5 also has a lower base clock of 2.00 GHz.

Q: What memory types do the two processors support?

A: The i5-4590T supports DDR3 memory, while the Celeron G6900T supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Both use a dual-channel memory bus, but the i5 has a listed memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the Celeron has no bandwidth figure listed.

Q: How do the integrated graphics compare?

A: The i5-4590T features Intel HD 4600 graphics, while the Celeron G6900T features UHD Graphics 710. Neither set of graphics has benchmark scores in the data, so a direct performance comparison is not possible.

Where Each One Wins

The data splits cleanly between multi-threaded workloads and single-threaded responsiveness. The i5-4590T wins every multi-core test in the head-to-head set: Cinebench R15 multi-core (347 vs 314), Cinebench R20 multi-core (1446 vs 1309), Cinebench R23 multi-core (3445 vs 3117), and Geekbench multi-core (2540 vs 2460). The margins are consistent, hovering around 10.5% for the three Cinebench tests and falling to 3.3% for Geekbench. This makes the i5-4590T the clear choice for any workload that can use four cores, rendering, batch processing, or multitasking with multiple active applications.

The Celeron G6900T wins exactly one benchmark: Geekbench single-core, with a score of 1422 against the i5’s 911. That is a 35.9% lead, which is the largest margin in either direction across the entire comparison. This indicates the Celeron has a substantial advantage in lightly-threaded, latency-sensitive tasks, such as opening applications, basic web browsing, or any single-threaded legacy software. Interestingly, the Celeron does not win the Cinebench R20 or R23 single-core tests, those go to the i5 by 10.9% and 10.5%, respectively. So the Celeron’s single-core win is specific to Geekbench’s workload, not a universal single-threaded victory.

Architecture Differences

The i5-4590T is built on Intel’s Haswell architecture using a 22 nm process node, with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. It uses the Intel Socket 1150 platform. The Celeron G6900T is based on Alder Lake-S architecture on a 10 nm process, and it uses the newer Intel Socket 1700. The process node difference is significant: 22 nm versus 10 nm, which explains how the Celeron achieves comparable average performance with half the cores.

Cache configurations also differ substantially. The i5-4590T has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The Celeron G6900T has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Celeron’s per-core L2 cache is nearly five times larger, which helps its single-core performance, but the i5 has 50% more shared L3 cache overall.

PCIe support also differs. The i5-4590T provides PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Celeron G6900T supports PCIe Gen 5. The memory controllers are equally divergent: the i5 is limited to DDR3, while the Celeron accepts DDR4 and DDR5. Neither processor supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers. The i5-4590T is end-of-life, while the Celeron G6900T remains active in production.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The i5-4590T has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Celeron G6900T has 2 cores and 2 threads. Base clocks are 2.00 GHz for the i5 and 2.80 GHz for the Celeron, but the i5 adds a 3.00 GHz boost clock that the Celeron lacks entirely.

The process node is 22 nm for the i5 versus 10 nm for the Celeron. The i5’s transistor count is listed at 1,400 million, while the Celeron’s is not provided; likewise, the i5 has a 177 mm² die size, and the Celeron’s is not listed. Cache hierarchies differ as noted: L1 is 64 KB per core on the i5 versus 80 KB per core on the Celeron, L2 is 256 KB per core versus 1.25 MB per core, and L3 is 6 MB shared versus 4 MB shared.

Memory support is a major split. The i5 uses DDR3 with a listed bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the Celeron supports DDR4 and DDR5 with no bandwidth figure given. PCIe generation differs as well: Gen 3 for the i5 versus Gen 5 for the Celeron. Integrated graphics are Intel HD 4600 on the i5 versus UHD Graphics 710 on the Celeron. Release dates are May 2014 for the i5 and January 2022 for the Celeron. The i5’s launch MSRP is $192, while the Celeron’s launch MSRP is $42.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i5-4590T dominates the head-to-head results, winning six of seven tests. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5 scores 347 against 314 for the Celeron, a 10.5% margin. That same 10.5% delta repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core (1446 vs 1309) and Cinebench R23 multi-core (3445 vs 3117). The consistency of this exact percentage across three different render tests suggests a stable multi-threaded advantage driven by the extra two cores.

In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i5 wins 204 to 184, a 10.9% margin, and in Cinebench R23 single-core, it wins 486 to 440, again 10.5%. These single-core wins are unexpected given the Celeron’s newer architecture and higher base clock, but the data is clear: the i5’s boost clock of 3.00 GHz appears to outpace the Celeron’s fixed 2.80 GHz in these specific workloads.

Geekbench multi-core is the closest race. The i5 scores 2540, the Celeron 2460, and the delta shrinks to 3.3%. This suggests that the Celeron’s two fast cores nearly match the i5’s four slower cores in this particular test, likely due to the Alder Lake architecture’s efficiency gains. However, the i5 still takes the win.

The single Celeron victory is Geekbench single-core, where it scores 1422 against the i5’s 911. That is a 35.9% margin, the largest gap in the entire comparison. This result highlights the Celeron’s strength in workloads that rely on a single thread without the overhead of multi-core scaling. It also explains the processor’s near-parity in average score despite losing most tests.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split based on workload type. For multi-threaded tasks, rendering, compiling, or running multiple applications simultaneously, the Intel Core i5-4590T is the better choice. It wins every multi-core benchmark by at least 3.3% and typically by 10.5%, thanks to its four cores versus the Celeron’s two. The i5 also wins the Cinebench single-core tests, showing that its older architecture is still competitive in those specific synthetic loads.

The Intel Celeron G6900T is the pick for single-threaded, latency-sensitive applications. Its 35.9% lead in Geekbench single-core is the standout result, indicating that any software which cannot utilize more than one core will run significantly faster on the Celeron. The Celeron also brings modern platform benefits, DDR4/DDR5 memory support, PCIe Gen 5, and a 10 nm process, that the i5 cannot offer. It remains an active product, while the i5 is end-of-life.

The average benchmark scores are nearly identical (1340 vs 1321), and both processors sit at the 35th-36th percentile of all CPUs. The i5-4590T’s nearest rivals include the Core i5-760, i5-4670, i5-7400T, and Xeon W-2104, all within 0.7% of its average score. The Celeron’s nearest rivals include the Celeron G6900E, Core i5-4570R, Core i7-3770T, and Core i5-2500K, all within 0.6%. This means neither processor offers a dramatic overall performance advantage, the choice depends entirely on whether the workload favors four cores or two very fast ones.