Intel Core i3-4170 vs Intel Core i5-3450 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear split between these two processors across the benchmark suite. The Intel Core i5-3450 wins five of the seven head-to-head comparisons, while the Intel Core i3-4170 takes two, and the margins tell a distinct story about workload types.

In the Cinebench series, the i5-3450 is consistently ahead by a wide margin. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-3450 scores 387 against 306 for the i3-4170, a delta of 26.5%. The same pattern holds in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the i5-3450 records 1613 versus 1275, again a 26.5% advantage. Cinebench R23 multicore shows 3842 for the i5-3450 and 3038 for the i3-4170, maintaining that exact 26.5% delta. This consistency across three different Cinebench versions suggests a stable performance gap in heavily threaded rendering workloads.

Single-core Cinebench results also favor the i5-3450, though the gap is slightly narrower. In Cinebench R20 singlecore, the i5-3450 scores 227 against 180 for the i3-4170, a 26.1% lead. Cinebench R23 singlecore shows 542 versus 429, a 26.3% advantage. These numbers indicate that even in single-threaded rendering tasks, the older Ivy Bridge architecture of the i5-3450 outperforms the newer Haswell design of the i3-4170 by a substantial margin.

However, Geekbench tells a completely different story. In Geekbench multicore, the i3-4170 scores 2033 versus 1985 for the i5-3450, a slim 2.4% lead for the i3. The single-core Geekbench result is far more dramatic: the i3-4170 scores 1090 while the i5-3450 manages only 681, giving the i3 a 37.5% advantage. This is the largest delta in the entire comparison and highlights how differently these two CPUs behave depending on the benchmark methodology.

The average benchmark score in the database places the i5-3450 at 1166 and the i3-4170 at 1193, a difference of 27 points in favor of the i3. Both processors sit at the 33rd percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy a similar overall tier despite their divergent individual results. The nearest rivals for the i5-3450 include the AMD Opteron 6220 at 1168 (delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i5-3570S at 1169 (delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-2960XM at 1169 (delta -0.2%). For the i3-4170, the nearest rivals include the AMD Athlon PRO 300U at 1193 (delta 0%) and the Intel Core i7-8665UE at 1193 (delta 0%).

The Verdict

The data indicates that the Intel Core i5-3450 is the stronger choice for multi-threaded and rendering workloads. Its four physical cores deliver a 26.5% advantage across all Cinebench tests, which are widely used to measure CPU rendering performance. Anyone working with video rendering, 3D modeling, or other Cinebench-style tasks should favor the i5-3450 based on these results alone.

The Intel Core i3-4170, conversely, shows a decisive edge in Geekbench, particularly in single-core performance where it leads by 37.5%. This suggests it handles tasks that rely heavily on single-threaded execution, such as certain legacy applications or lightly threaded productivity software, more effectively. The i3-4170 also edges out the i5-3450 in Geekbench multicore by 2.4%, indicating that its two cores with four threads compete favorably against the i5's four physical cores in that specific benchmark.

From a raw specification standpoint, the i5-3450 offers four cores and four threads at a base clock of 3.10 GHz with a boost clock of 3.50 GHz. The i3-4170 provides two cores and four threads at a base clock of 3.70 GHz with no boost capability. The higher base clock of the i3 explains its Geekbench single-core dominance, while the additional physical cores of the i5 explain its Cinebench superiority. The i5-3450 was released in 2012 with a launch MSRP of $174, while the i3-4170 launched in 2014 with a launch MSRP of $117.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel microarchitectures. The i5-3450 is based on Ivy Bridge, built on a 22 nm process node with a die size of 160 mm². The i3-4170 uses the Haswell architecture, also on a 22 nm process node but with a slightly larger die size of 177 mm². Both processors contain 1,400 million transistors and are manufactured by Intel.

The core configurations differ significantly. The i5-3450 has four physical cores with four threads, while the i3-4170 has two physical cores with four threads via Hyper-Threading. This means the i5 offers true quad-core parallelism, whereas the i3 relies on simultaneous multithreading to reach four threads. The i5-3450 has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.50 GHz, while the i3-4170 has a higher base clock of 3.70 GHz but no boost clock at all.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. Both processors share an L1 cache of 64 KB per core and an L2 cache of 256 KB per core. The key difference lies in the L3 cache: the i5-3450 has 6 MB shared, while the i3-4170 has only 3 MB shared. This larger L3 cache likely contributes to the i5's strong Cinebench performance, as more data can be cached closer to the cores.

Memory support is identical in both cases: DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Neither processor supports ECC memory. Both use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The socket differs, with the i5-3450 using Intel Socket 1155 and the i3-4170 using Intel Socket 1150, meaning they are not interchangeable in the same motherboard.

The integrated graphics also differ. The i5-3450 includes Intel HD 2500, while the i3-4170 features Intel HD 4400. Both processors are marked as End-of-life in production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The i5-3450 carries the part number SR0PF, and the i3-4170 carries SR1PL.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i5-3450 wins with a score of 3842 against 3038 for the i3-4170, a 26.5% advantage.

Q: How large is the single-core Geekbench gap?

A: The i3-4170 leads by 37.5% in Geekbench singlecore, scoring 1090 versus 681 for the i5-3450.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores?

A: No. The i5-3450 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i3-4170 has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the L3 cache difference?

A: The i5-3450 has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i3-4170 has 3 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Are the sockets compatible?

A: No. The i5-3450 uses Intel Socket 1155, and the i3-4170 uses Intel Socket 1150.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock?

A: The i3-4170 has a base clock of 3.70 GHz, while the i5-3450 has a base clock of 3.10 GHz with a boost of 3.50 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-3450 is the clear winner in Cinebench-based workloads. It leads by 26.5% in R15 multicore, R20 multicore, and R23 multicore, and by 26.1% and 26.3% in R20 and R23 singlecore respectively. This makes it the appropriate choice for rendering, video encoding, and any application that scales with physical core count. The 6 MB L3 cache and four physical cores provide a structural advantage that the i3 cannot overcome in these tests.

The Intel Core i3-4170 wins in Geekbench, particularly in single-core performance where its 37.5% lead is decisive. It also edges out the i5 in Geekbench multicore by 2.4%. The higher base clock of 3.70 GHz explains this dominance, as Geekbench appears to reward raw clock speed over core count in its single-core test. For general desktop responsiveness, legacy application compatibility, or tasks that are primarily single-threaded, the i3-4170 is the better performer according to the data.

The overall average benchmark scores slightly favor the i3-4170 at 1193 versus 1166 for the i5-3450, but this aggregate figure masks the workload-specific nature of the results. The i5-3450 wins 5 of the 7 head-to-head benchmarks, while the i3-4170 wins 2, but the magnitude of the i3's Geekbench single-core victory is the largest single delta in the comparison.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in the following recorded specifications:

• Cores: i5-3450 has 4, i3-4170 has 2.
• Threads: i5-3450 has 4, i3-4170 has 4.
• Base clock: i5-3450 is 3.10 GHz, i3-4170 is 3.70 GHz.
• Boost clock: i5-3450 has 3.50 GHz, i3-4170 has none.
• TDP: i5-3450 is 77, i3-4170 is 54.
• Socket: i5-3450 uses Intel Socket 1155, i3-4170 uses Intel Socket 1150.
• Architecture: i5-3450 is Ivy Bridge, i3-4170 is Haswell.
• Codename: i5-3450 is Ivy Bridge, i3-4170 is Haswell.
• Generation: i5-3450 is Core i5 (Ivy Bridge), i3-4170 is Core i3 (Haswell).
• Die size: i5-3450 is 160 mm², i3-4170 is 177 mm².
• L3 cache: i5-3450 has 6 MB shared, i3-4170 has 3 MB shared.
• Integrated graphics: i5-3450 has Intel HD 2500, i3-4170 has Intel HD 4400.
• Release date: i5-3450 is 2012-04-28, i3-4170 is 2014-04-30.
• Launch MSRP: i5-3450 is $174, i3-4170 is $117.
• Part number: i5-3450 is SR0PF, i3-4170 is SR1PL.

Both processors share the same L1 cache of 64 KB per core, L2 cache of 256 KB per core, 22 nm process node, 1,400 million transistors, DDR3 memory support, dual-channel memory bus, 25.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, non-ECC memory, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, Desktop market segment, End-of-life production status, and locked multipliers.