Intel Core 3 N350 vs Intel Core i7-4790 Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Core 3 N350 is the better all-around purchase for modern general-purpose computing. It wins 10 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench test, with multicore scores consistently about 1.6% to 1.7% ahead of the i7-4790. The N350 also delivers a massive 64.3% advantage in data encryption and a 26.3% lead in floating-point math, making it the clear choice for anyone prioritizing current workloads, power efficiency, and longevity.

The Intel Core i7-4790 still has a role, but it is narrower. It wins 7 benchmarks, and its victories are decisive in specific areas: data compression (36.3% ahead), extended instructions (71.7% ahead), random string sorting (46.4% ahead), and find prime numbers (60% ahead). It also holds a 12.9% single-thread PassMark lead and an 11.7% physics advantage. If your work is dominated by compression, sorting, legacy x86 instruction throughput, or physics simulation, the i7-4790 remains surprisingly competitive despite being end-of-life.

For a new system, choose the Core 3 N350. For an existing Socket 1150 platform where the i7-4790 is already installed, there is no benchmark-driven reason to upgrade unless you need those specific PassMark wins. The N350 is mobile-only on BGA 1264, so it is not a drop-in replacement for desktop users.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The i7-4790 uses the Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process, built on a 1,400 million transistor die measuring 177 mm². It is a desktop part for Intel Socket 1150, released in 2014, and is now end-of-life. The Core 3 N350 uses the Twin Lake architecture, which the database places in the Alder Lake-N generation, on a 10 nm process. It is a mobile part on Intel BGA 1264, released in 2025, and remains active in production.

Core counts differ significantly. The i7-4790 has 4 cores and 8 threads, relying on Hyper-Threading to reach its thread count. The N350 has 8 physical cores and 8 threads, with no simultaneous multithreading. This explains part of the benchmark behavior: the N350 has twice the physical core count, but the i7-4790’s higher per-thread efficiency in certain workloads keeps it competitive.

Cache layouts are distinct. The i7-4790 carries 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3. The N350 has 96 KB L1 per core, 2 MB shared L2, and 6 MB shared L3. The i7-4790’s larger L3 likely contributes to its wins in compression and sorting, which benefit from larger working sets. The N350’s larger per-core L1 helps with single-core responsiveness in other tests.

Clock behavior differs as well. The i7-4790 has a 3.60 GHz base and 4.00 GHz boost. The N350 has an unusually low 0.10 GHz base clock, but a 3.90 GHz boost. The N350’s boost is only 0.10 GHz lower than the i7-4790’s, yet its thermal design power is drastically different: 7 watts versus 84 watts. That is a 12x difference in rated power draw, which matters for sustained workloads in fanless or battery-powered devices.

Memory support diverges. The i7-4790 uses DDR3 in dual-channel configuration with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. The N350 supports DDR4, DDR5, and LPDDR5, but runs single-channel with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. Higher peak bandwidth does not translate into a win for the N350 in every test, as the i7-4790’s dual-channel access pattern helps in latency-sensitive tasks.

Integrated graphics also differ. The i7-4790 pairs with Intel HD 4600; the N350 includes UHD Graphics 770. PCIe connectivity is Gen 3 on both, but the i7-4790 offers 16 lanes versus the N350’s 9 lanes. Neither has ECC memory support, and both have locked multipliers.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Core 3 N350 wins every Cinebench test, but by narrow margins. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 632 versus 621, a 1.7% lead. Single-core is 89 versus 87, a 2.2% lead. R20 multicore is 2635 versus 2591, again 1.7%. R20 single-core is 371 versus 365, 1.6%. R23 multicore is 6274 versus 6171, 1.6%. R23 single-core is 885 versus 871, 1.6%. These results indicate that for sustained rendering workloads, the N350 is consistently a few points ahead, but the gap is small enough that real-world differences will be minor.

The i7-4790’s wins are larger in percentage terms. PassMark data compression shows 109623 versus 80444, a 36.3% blowout. Extended instructions score 6835 versus 3981, a 71.7% lead. Random string sorting is 14790 versus 10102, a 46.4% lead. Find prime numbers is 32 versus 20, a 60% lead. These are not marginal victories; they are dominant. The i7-4790 also wins PassMark single-thread with 2228 versus 1974, a 12.9% lead, and physics with 498 versus 446, an 11.7% lead.

The N350’s other wins include data encryption at 5693 versus 2035, a 64.3% advantage, and floating-point math at 17781 versus 13104, a 26.3% lead. It also wins integer math modestly at 27669 versus 26129, a 5.6% lead, and PassMark multithread at 7382 versus 7264, a 1.6% lead.

The overall pattern is clear. The i7-4790 excels at memory-heavy, instruction-dense, and single-threaded tasks. The N350 wins at encryption, floating-point throughput, and every Cinebench render test, plus it matches the i7-4790’s overall multithread score within 1.6%.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-4790 | Intel Core 3 N350 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 8 |

| Threads | 8 | 8 |

| Base clock | 3.60 GHz | 0.10 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.00 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| TDP | 84 W | 7 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | Intel BGA 1264 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Twin Lake |

| Process node | 22 nm | 10 nm |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | Not specified |

| Die size | 177 mm² | Not specified |

| L1 cache | 64 KB per core | 96 KB per core |

| L2 cache | 256 KB per core | 2 MB shared |

| L3 cache | 8 MB shared | 6 MB shared |

| Memory support | DDR3 | DDR4, DDR5, LPDDR5 |

| Memory bus | Dual-channel | Single-channel |

| Memory bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 lanes | Gen 3, 9 lanes |

| Integrated graphics | Intel HD 4600 | UHD Graphics 770 |

| Market segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Production status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release date | 2014-04-30 | 2025-01-06 |

| Launch MSRP | $312 | Not specified |

Only the fields shown differ. Both are Intel parts, neither supports ECC, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core 3 N350, scoring 6274 versus 6171 for the i7-4790, a 1.6% lead.

Q: Is the i7-4790 better at any single benchmark by a large margin?

A: Yes, the i7-4790 wins PassMark extended instructions by 71.7%, random string sorting by 46.4%, and data compression by 36.3%. Its largest single-thread win is PassMark single-thread at 12.9%.

Q: Why does the N350 have such a low base clock?

A: The recorded base clock is 0.10 GHz, but its boost clock reaches 3.90 GHz. This allows the 7-watt TDP part to idle extremely low while still delivering competitive burst performance.

Q: Can I put the Core 3 N350 into a desktop motherboard?

A: No. The N350 uses Intel BGA 1264, a soldered mobile socket. The i7-4790 uses Intel Socket 1150, which is a desktop socket.

Q: Which CPU has better memory bandwidth on paper?

A: The Core 3 N350 lists 38.4 GB/s, but it is single-channel. The i7-4790 lists 25.6 GB/s over dual-channel DDR3. In practice, the i7-4790 wins multiple memory-sensitive PassMark tests despite the lower peak bandwidth.

Q: How do these CPUs compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The i7-4790 sits at the 66th percentile with an average benchmark score of 10556, within 2% of the AMD EPYC 7D12, AMD EPYC 7502P, Intel Xeon W-3175X, and Intel Xeon Gold 6338N. The Core 3 N350 also sits at the 66th percentile with an average score of 9903, within 3.2% of the Intel Core i7-3770, Intel Core i5-1035G1, AMD EPYC 7F52, and Intel Xeon Platinum 8280.

Where Each One Wins

Choose the Intel Core 3 N350 for rendering, encryption, and floating-point workloads. It wins every Cinebench test, so video encoding, 3D scene renders, and other multicore content creation tasks will run slightly faster. Its 64.3% data encryption advantage makes it the pick for disk encryption, VPN traffic, or secure communication workloads. The 26.3% floating-point math lead also favors scientific or simulation tasks that use FPU-heavy code. Its 7-watt TDP makes it the only sensible choice for battery-powered or passively cooled systems.

Choose the Intel Core i7-4790 for compression, sorting, legacy instruction throughput, and physics. Data compression at 36.3% ahead means archive creation and extraction will finish noticeably faster. Random string sorting at 46.4% ahead benefits database-style text processing. The 71.7% extended instructions win suggests the i7-4790 handles older x86 instruction sets with far greater efficiency, which matters for legacy enterprise software. The 12.9% single-thread PassMark lead and 11.7% physics win make it the better pick for older games or physics-based simulations that rely on a few strong cores. The i7-4790 also wins find prime numbers by 60%, so pure integer-sequential workloads favor it.

The N350 is the better general-purpose processor because its wins cover more common tasks (rendering, encryption, math) and its losses are concentrated in narrower workloads. The i7-4790 remains a specialist that excels in data manipulation and single-threaded legacy code, but its end-of-life status, 84-watt TDP, and DDR3-only memory make it a poor choice for new builds.