Intel Core i3-4130T vs Intel Core i3-4370T Comparison

The Intel Core i3-4130T and Intel Core i3-4370T are both 35 W, dual-core, quad-thread Haswell desktop processors on the Intel Socket 1150 platform. Despite their shared fundamental design, the benchmark data reveals a consistent and decisive performance gap favoring the 4370T across every tested workload. The 4130T, with its 2.90 GHz base clock, and the 4370T, with its 3.30 GHz base clock, represent two distinct tiers of the same architecture, differentiated by clock speed, cache, and integrated graphics. The data shows that the 4370T is the unequivocally faster part in raw compute, while the 4130T’s only advantages are its earlier release date and a lower overall benchmark percentile, which is a statistical artifact of its position among all CPUs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark results are remarkably one-sided. The Intel Core i3-4370T wins all five recorded benchmark comparisons, with a near-uniform performance advantage over the 4130T. In the Cinebench R15 multicore test, the 4370T scores 287 against the 4130T’s 245, a delta of -14.6% (negative delta indicating the 4130T is behind). This pattern repeats exactly in the Cinebench R20 multicore test, where the 4370T’s 1199 score outpaces the 4130T’s 1024 by the same 14.6% margin. The Cinebench R23 multicore test shows a similar story, with the 4370T scoring 2856 versus the 4130T’s 2440, again a 14.6% difference.

Single-threaded performance reveals an identical trend. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the 4370T scores 169, while the 4130T trails at 144, a 14.8% deficit. The Cinebench R23 single-core test shows the 4370T at 403 versus the 4130T’s 344, marking a 14.6% advantage. This consistency across different benchmarks and thread counts is notable. It suggests that the performance gap is not workload-specific but rather a uniform clock-speed and cache-driven advantage. The 4370T’s higher 3.30 GHz base clock, compared to the 4130T’s 2.90 GHz, directly translates into a predictable performance lead in both lightly-threaded and fully-threaded scenarios.

Looking at the aggregate benchmark scores, the two CPUs are effectively tied, but the individual test results tell a different story. The 4130T has a Geekbench multicore score of 1787 and a single-core score of 903, while the 4370T lacks Geekbench results in the fact pack. However, the average benchmark score for the 4130T is 984, and for the 4370T it is 983, a negligible difference of 0.1%. This aggregate similarity is misleading, as the head-to-head tests show a clear 14.6% winner. The average score is skewed by the inclusion of different benchmark suites; the 4130T’s Geekbench results help pull its average up, masking its consistent losses in the Cinebench suite.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the data, the Intel Core i3-4370T wins everywhere that matters for compute performance. It holds a 14.6% lead in all multicore Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests, and a similar 14.6-14.8% lead in single-core Cinebench R20 and R23 tests. This makes it the superior choice for any application that relies on CPU throughput, whether that is rendering, encoding, or general productivity. The data shows zero wins for the 4130T in the head-to-head comparisons, so there is no workload category where it outperforms the 4370T based on the provided benchmarks.

The 4130T’s only nominal wins are in release timing and a slightly higher percentile rank. It was released on 2013-08-31, while the 4370T was released later on 2015-03-29. The 4130T holds a 27th percentile rank among all CPUs, versus the 4370T’s 26th percentile. This difference is essentially negligible and does not indicate any performance superiority. In practical terms, the 4130T is the older, slower part. The 4370T’s integrated graphics are also a clear differentiator, as it features the Intel HD 4600, while the 4130T comes with the Intel HD 4400. While no graphics benchmarks are provided, the HD 4600 is a newer and more capable integrated graphics solution for tasks like basic display output and video playback.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on the same Haswell architecture, using a 22 nm process node from Intel, with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. They share the same dual-core, four-thread configuration, the Intel Socket 1150, and support dual-channel DDR3 memory. The core differences are in clock speed, cache size, and integrated graphics. The 4130T has a base clock of 2.90 GHz, while the 4370T runs at 3.30 GHz. This 0.4 GHz difference is the primary driver of the performance gap seen in benchmarks.

The cache hierarchy is also different. The 4130T has a shared L3 cache of 3 MB, while the 4370T has a larger 4 MB shared L3 cache. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The larger L3 cache on the 4370T can improve performance in workloads that benefit from a larger working set, further contributing to its lead. The integrated graphics differ as well: the 4130T features Intel HD 4400, and the 4370T features Intel HD 4600. The 4370T also has a listed memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the 4130T’s memory bandwidth is not specified in the fact pack. Both support PCIe Gen 3, with the 4370T specifically listing 16 lanes for the CPU.

The release dates and production statuses also differ. The 4130T was released in August 2013, and the 4370T was released in March 2015. The 4370T is marked as "End-of-life" in its production status, while the 4130T’s status is not listed. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both have a 35 W TDP. The part numbers are SR1NN for the 4130T and SR1TB for the 4370T. The 4370T has a launch MSRP of $138, while the 4130T does not have a listed launch MSRP in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Intel Core i3-4370T is consistently faster in multi-threaded tests. It scores 287 in Cinebench R15, 1199 in Cinebench R20, and 2856 in Cinebench R23, compared to the 4130T’s 245, 1024, and 2440 respectively. This represents a uniform 14.6% advantage for the 4370T.

Q: Is there a difference in single-core performance?

A: Yes, the 4370T also leads in single-core tests. It scores 169 in Cinebench R20 single-core and 403 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the 4130T scores 144 and 344, respectively. The performance gap is 14.8% in R20 and 14.6% in R23.

Q: What are the architectural differences between the two chips?

A: Both are 22 nm Haswell processors with 2 cores and 4 threads. The 4370T has a higher base clock of 3.30 GHz versus 2.90 GHz, a larger 4 MB L3 cache versus 3 MB, and a more advanced Intel HD 4600 integrated GPU versus the HD 4400 on the 4130T.

Q: How does the average benchmark score compare?

A: The average benchmark scores are nearly identical. The 4130T has an average of 984, and the 4370T has an average of 983, a difference of only 0.1%. This is despite the 4370T winning all head-to-head Cinebench tests, due to the inclusion of Geekbench scores for the 4130T.

Q: Which processor has a higher percentile ranking?

A: The 4130T has a 27th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the 4370T is at the 26th percentile. This difference of one percentile point is negligible and does not reflect the consistent performance advantage the 4370T shows in benchmark comparisons.

Q: What is the release date and MSRP of the 4370T?

A: The Intel Core i3-4370T was released on 2015-03-29 and has a launch MSRP of $138. The 4130T was released earlier on 2013-08-31 and has no listed launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i3-4370T is the superior processor in every measured metric. It outperforms the 4130T by a consistent 14.6% in all Cinebench multicore and single-core tests, which is a substantial margin for two chips with the same core and thread counts. The 4370T achieves this through a higher 3.30 GHz base clock and a larger 4 MB L3 cache, both of which directly contribute to its faster execution in CPU-bound tasks. The 4130T cannot claim a single benchmark victory in the head-to-head data, making the performance hierarchy clear.

For a user choosing between these two specific Haswell parts, the data points exclusively to the 4370T. It offers better rendering performance, better single-threaded responsiveness, and a more capable integrated GPU in the HD 4600. The 4130T’s earlier release date in 2013 and its negligible one-point higher percentile ranking do not offset its significant benchmark deficit. The 4370T’s launch MSRP of $138 is a data point for reference, but the performance gap alone justifies its selection in any workload where CPU speed matters. The 4130T remains a functional low-power processor, but the 4370T is the definitive winner in this comparison, offering a uniform and substantial performance uplift across all tested scenarios.