Intel Core i3-1115GRE vs Intel Core i5-4690T Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4690T and Intel Core i3-1115GRE deliver nearly identical benchmark scores, separated by a single point in average benchmark score (1129 vs 1127). The i5-4690T wins all six head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, but the margins are razor-thin, ranging from 0% to 0.3%. Both processors sit at the 32nd percentile among all CPUs, placing them in the same performance tier. The i5-4690T is the desktop choice with a 45W TDP and four physical cores, while the i3-1115GRE is the mobile part with a 15W TDP and two cores. Their near-identical scores make the decision less about raw performance and more about platform, power budget, and generation-specific features.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents an unusual scenario: two CPUs from different eras, with different core counts and TDPs, producing statistically equivalent results. The Intel Core i5-4690T edges out the i3-1115GRE in every single benchmark test, but the largest margin is a 0.3% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core. In single-core tests, the scores are exactly tied at 55 points in R15, 231 points in R20, and within one point in R23 (551 vs 550). The average benchmark score difference is just two points (1129 vs 1127). For anyone choosing strictly on performance, the data shows no meaningful winner. The i5-4690T takes the technical win with six victories, but a 0.3% delta is within noise margins. The i3-1115GRE's 15W TDP versus the i5-4690T's 45W TDP is the more significant differentiator. The mobile chip achieves parity while consuming one-third the power. Users building a desktop system with a spare LGA 1150 motherboard might favor the i5-4690T, while those prioritizing energy efficiency or needing a mobile platform should pick the i3-1115GRE. Neither processor offers compelling multi-threaded muscle; both rank at the 32nd percentile overall.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-4690T claims victory in all six head-to-head tests, but the wins are nominal. In multi-core workloads, the desktop chip leads by 0.3% in Cinebench R15 (393 vs 392), 0.2% in R20 (1640 vs 1637), and 0.2% in R23 (3905 vs 3899). These margins suggest the four physical cores of the Haswell part provide a slight advantage over the two cores with Hyper-Threading in the Tiger Lake chip. The single-core results are essentially dead even: 55 vs 55 in R15, 231 vs 231 in R20, and 551 vs 550 in R23. The i3-1115GRE's higher boost clock (3.90 GHz vs 3.50 GHz) helps close the IPC gap from the older architecture. The real win for the i3-1115GRE is not in benchmarks but in power efficiency. Its 15W TDP is exactly one-third of the i5-4690T's 45W TDP. For sustained mobile workloads or compact fanless designs, that power envelope is the deciding factor. The i3-1115GRE also brings newer platform features, including PCIe Gen 4 support with 4 lanes, while the i5-4690T uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The mobile chip supports ECC memory, which the desktop part does not. The i3-1115GRE also supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X, versus the older DDR3 standard on the i5-4690T.

Architecture Differences

The i5-4690T is built on Intel's Haswell architecture using a 22 nm process node at the Intel foundry. It packs 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The chip features four cores with four threads, no Hyper-Threading, and a base clock of 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 3.50 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The i3-1115GRE uses the newer Tiger Lake architecture (Willow Cove cores) on a 10 nm process, also from Intel. It has two cores with four threads via Hyper-Threading, running at 2.20 GHz base and 3.90 GHz boost. The cache layout differs significantly: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. The die size is smaller at 144 mm², though transistor count is not listed for this part. The i5-4690T uses the Intel Socket 1150 platform and supports dual-channel DDR3 memory with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. The i3-1115GRE uses Intel BGA 1449 and supports dual-channel DDR4 or LPDDR4X, though its memory bandwidth figure is not provided. The integrated graphics differ as well: Intel HD 4600 on the desktop chip versus UHD Graphics G4 48EU on the mobile chip. The i5-4690T offers more PCIe lanes (16 vs 4) but at the older Gen 3 standard, while the i3-1115GRE provides Gen 4 connectivity. The i5-4690T has a 45W TDP and a locked multiplier, as does the i3-1115GRE with its 15W TDP. The desktop part was released in April 2014, the mobile part in September 2020. Only the i3-1115GRE has an active production status and a launch MSRP of $338.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The Intel Core i5-4690T has 4 cores, while the Intel Core i3-1115GRE has 2 cores. Both support 4 threads total, meaning the i3-1115GRE relies on Hyper-Threading to match the thread count.

Q: Is the newer i3-1115GRE faster in single-core tests?

A: No. The data shows a tie in Cinebench R15 single-core (55 vs 55) and R20 single-core (231 vs 231). The i5-4690T leads by 0.2% in R23 single-core (551 vs 550). Despite a higher boost clock of 3.90 GHz versus 3.50 GHz, the i3-1115GRE does not outrun the older chip.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The i5-4690T has a TDP of 45W, while the i3-1115GRE has a TDP of 15W. The mobile processor uses exactly one-third the power of the desktop chip.

Q: Do these CPUs support the same memory type?

A: No. The i5-4690T supports DDR3, while the i3-1115GRE supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X. Both use a dual-channel memory bus. The i3-1115GRE also supports ECC memory, which the i5-4690T does not.

Q: Which CPU has better multi-core performance?

A: The i5-4690T wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests, but by very small margins: 0.3% in R15 (393 vs 392), 0.2% in R20 (1640 vs 1637), and 0.2% in R23 (3905 vs 3899). The four physical cores provide a slight edge over the two-core/four-thread design.

Q: Are these CPUs comparable in overall performance?

A: Yes. Their average benchmark scores are 1129 for the i5-4690T and 1127 for the i3-1115GRE. Both rank at the 32nd percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals for each include the same chips (Intel Core i7-3612QM, Core i7-2720QM, Core i5-3330S), with delta percentages within 0.2% of each other.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The six Cinebench tests reveal a pattern of near-perfect parity. The largest performance gap appears in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the i5-4690T scores 393 against the i3-1115GRE's 392, a 0.3% delta. That is the widest margin in the entire comparison. The R20 multi-core test shows the desktop chip ahead by 0.2% (1640 vs 1637), and the R23 multi-core test likewise shows a 0.2% lead (3905 vs 3899). These multi-core results align with the core count difference: four physical cores versus two cores with four threads. The extra physical cores of the Haswell part provide a tiny but consistent advantage in threaded workloads.

Single-core results are even closer. Cinebench R15 single-core shows a perfect tie at 55 points for both chips. Cinebench R20 single-core also ties at 231 points. The R23 single-core test gives the i5-4690T a one-point lead (551 vs 550), a 0.2% delta. The i3-1115GRE's 3.90 GHz boost clock is 0.40 GHz higher than the i5-4690T's 3.50 GHz, which compensates for the older architecture's lower IPC. The data suggests that Willow Cove's single-thread efficiency roughly matches Haswell's when clocked higher. The i3-1115GRE's 10 nm process enables this clock advantage within a much lower 15W TDP, compared to the 22 nm i5-4690T at 45W.

The average benchmark score reinforces the head-to-head results. The i5-4690T averages 1129 points, while the i3-1115GRE averages 1127 points. Their nearest rivals cluster around the same level: the Intel Core i7-3612QM and i5-4690T both score 1129, the Core i7-2720QM and Core i5-3330S score 1128, and the Core i3-4370 scores 1130. The i5-4690T's nearest rival deltas range from -0.1% to +0.1%, while the i3-1115GRE's range from -0.1% to -0.2%. Both chips sit at the 32nd percentile, meaning roughly two-thirds of all CPUs outperform them. In the context of their own generations, the i5-4690T represents a mid-range desktop part from 2014, while the i3-1115GRE is a low-power mobile chip from 2020. The fact that they perform identically despite six years of architectural evolution speaks to the i5-4690T's solid quad-core design and the i3-1115GRE's efficiency-focused positioning. The i3-1115GRE's launch MSRP of $338 reflects its mobile platform premium, but the benchmark data shows no performance advantage over the older desktop chip. For pure compute, the i5-4690T is the nominal winner; for power-constrained applications, the i3-1115GRE offers the same performance at a fraction of the power draw.