Intel Core i3-1005G1 vs Intel Core i5-4430S Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4430S and Intel Core i3-1005G1 are separated by six years of silicon evolution, yet they land within 0.7% of each other in average benchmark score. The data reveals a fascinating split: the older desktop chip wins decisively in one specific test, while the newer mobile part dominates everywhere else. This is not a simple generational victory; it is a story of architectural priorities and workload-specific strengths.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in Geekbench multicore, where the Intel Core i5-4430S posts a score of 2773 against the Core i3-1005G1’s 1978. That is a 40.2% advantage for the i5-4430S, the largest delta in the entire comparison. This single result flips the overall narrative, as it is the only test out of eight where the older chip wins.

Every other benchmark favors the Core i3-1005G1, but the margins are remarkably consistent rather than overwhelming. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i3-1005G1 scores 410 versus 373, a 9% lead. The R15 single-core test shows a similar pattern: 57 vs 52, an 8.8% gap. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i3-1005G1 wins multicore with 1709 against 1558 (8.8%) and single-core with 241 versus 219 (9.1%). The R23 tests continue the trend, with the i3-1005G1 ahead by 8.8% in multicore (4070 vs 3710) and 8.9% in single-core (574 vs 523).

The Geekbench single-core result follows the same script: the i3-1005G1 wins 1083 to 980, a 9.5% margin. What is curious is the divergence between Geekbench multicore and Cinebench multicore. The i5-4430S has 4 physical cores and 4 threads, while the i3-1005G1 has only 2 cores but 4 threads. Yet in Cinebench, the 2-core part wins, while in Geekbench, the 4-core part crushes it. This suggests the two benchmarks stress different aspects of the architecture, with Geekbench apparently favoring raw core count while Cinebench responds better to the newer core design’s efficiency.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-4430S has exactly one victory condition: Geekbench multicore. The 40.2% margin there is substantial enough to suggest that workloads resembling that benchmark—likely heavily threaded but not necessarily SIMD-heavy—will strongly favor the older chip. If the task is purely about pushing many threads through a 4-core, 4-thread design, the i5-4430S remains competitive despite its age.

The i3-1005G1 wins in every other scenario. All six Cinebench tests (R15, R20, R23, both single and multicore) go to the newer part, with deltas between 8.8% and 9.1%. Geekbench single-core also belongs to the i3-1005G1. This means for typical productivity tasks, video encoding (which Cinebench approximates), and any single-threaded application, the i3-1005G1 is consistently faster. The uniformity of the Cinebench margins—almost all sitting near 9%—indicates a stable performance advantage rather than a benchmark-specific quirk.

The use-case split is therefore clear: the i5-4430S is a niche pick for multicore integer workloads, while the i3-1005G1 is the all-around performer for everything else. The data does not support the i5-4430S for general use, given that it trails in seven of eight tests.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different worlds. The i5-4430S is built on the Haswell architecture, codenamed Haswell, using a 22 nm process node from Intel. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz. The i3-1005G1 uses the Ice Lake architecture (codename Ice Lake-U) on a 10 nm node, with 2 cores and 4 threads, a base clock of 1200.00 MHz, and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz.

The transistor counts tell a story of density. The i5-4430S packs 1,400 million transistors into a 177 mm² die. The i3-1005G1’s transistor count is not listed, but its die size is 123 mm². The newer 10 nm process allows for significantly higher clock speeds at far lower power, which explains the i3-1005G1’s 15 W TDP versus the i5-4430S’s 65 W.

Cache layouts are similar in per-core structure—both have 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core—but differ in shared L3. The i5-4430S has 6 MB shared L3, while the i3-1005G1 has 4 MB. The memory support also diverges: the i5-4430S uses DDR3 with dual-channel bus, while the i3-1005G1 uses DDR4 with dual-channel and a listed memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The i3-1005G1 also has PCIe Gen 3, matching the i5-4430S, but the sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1150 for the desktop part versus Intel BGA 1526 for the mobile part.

Integrated graphics differ as well: Intel HD 4600 on the i5-4430S versus UHD Graphics on the i3-1005G1. The i5-4430S is a desktop part, released in 2013, while the i3-1005G1 is a mobile part from 2019 and is still marked as active in production.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear overall winner: the Intel Core i3-1005G1 wins 7 of 8 benchmarks and ties the average score within 0.7% despite having half the physical cores. The i5-4430S’s sole victory in Geekbench multicore is impressive in isolation—40.2% ahead—but it cannot compensate for losing every other test. The i3-1005G1’s consistent 9% advantage across all Cinebench variants suggests a fundamentally more efficient core design.

For a user prioritizing heavily threaded integer workloads that mirror Geekbench multicore, the i5-4430S has a legitimate claim. But for anything else—single-threaded apps, rendering, encoding—the i3-1005G1 is the better choice. The i5-4430S also carries a 65 W TDP, making it less suitable for thermally constrained environments. The i3-1005G1 is a mobile part with a 15 W TDP, which means it can achieve comparable or better performance in a fraction of the power envelope.

The percentile ranking is identical for both at 35, placing them in the same tier relative to all CPUs. That parity, combined with the i3-1005G1’s benchmark dominance, makes the newer chip the rational pick for almost every scenario.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i3-1005G1 has an average benchmark score of 1265, while the Intel Core i5-4430S scores 1274, a difference of 0.7%.

Q: How much faster is the Core i3-1005G1 in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Core i3-1005G1 scores 4070 versus 3710 for the Core i5-4430S, an 8.8% advantage.

Q: What is the only benchmark where the Core i5-4430S wins?

A: Geekbench multicore, where it scores 2773 against 1978 for the Core i3-1005G1, a 40.2% margin.

Q: Do the two processors use the same socket?

A: No. The Core i5-4430S uses Intel Socket 1150, while the Core i3-1005G1 uses Intel BGA 1526.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each?

A: The Core i5-4430S has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Core i3-1005G1 has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Which processor has a smaller process node?

A: The Core i3-1005G1 uses a 10 nm process, while the Core i5-4430S uses a 22 nm process.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-4430S | Intel Core i3-1005G1 |

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

| Cores | 4 | 2 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 2.70 GHz | 1200.00 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.20 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | Intel BGA 1526 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Ice Lake |

| Codename | Haswell | Ice Lake-U |

| Generation | Core i5 (Haswell) | Core i3 (Sunny Cove-U) |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 10 nm |

| Die Size | 177 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | Not listed |

| L3 Cache | 6 MB (shared) | 4 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR3 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 51.2 GB/s |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4600 | UHD Graphics |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Production Status | Not listed | Active |

| Release Date | 2013-06-01 | 2019-07-31 |

| Part Number | SR14M | SRG0SSRGKF |