Intel Core i3-4170 vs Intel Core i7-3635QM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks: A Split Personality

The recorded data shows a clear split personality between these two processors, and the wins are not where you might expect them. The Intel Core i7-3635QM, the mobile part, takes the Cinebench suite outright. It wins all five Cinebench tests by a consistent margin. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7 scores 408 against the i3's 306, a 25% advantage. That same 25% gap appears in Cinebench R20 multicore (1703 vs 1275) and R23 multicore (4057 vs 3038), showing a very stable performance edge in sustained multi-threaded rendering workloads.

The single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern, with the i7-3635QM winning by exactly 25% in both R20 (240 vs 180) and R23 (572 vs 429). This is a uniform, predictable victory across the entire Cinebench suite. The i7's four physical cores and eight threads simply overpower the i3's two cores and four threads in these render tests, and the boost clock of 3.40 GHz on the i7 appears sufficient to also overcome the i3's higher 3.70 GHz base clock in single-threaded Cinebench tasks.

However, the tables turn completely in the Geekbench tests. The Intel Core i3-4170 wins Geekbench multicore with a score of 2033 against the i7's 1790, a 13.6% advantage. The single-core Geekbench result is even more dramatic. The i3-4170 scores 1090, while the i7-3635QM manages only 532. That is a 104.9% advantage for the i3, more than double the score. This is a massive swing that cannot be explained by clock speed alone. The i3's Haswell architecture clearly has a significant IPC (instructions per clock) advantage over the older Ivy Bridge design in this specific benchmark suite.

Out of the seven head-to-head benchmarks, the i7-3635QM wins five, while the i3-4170 wins two. But the magnitude of the i3's wins, particularly the Geekbench single-core result, makes the overall picture more nuanced than a simple win count. The average benchmark scores corroborate this close contest: the i3-4170 averages 1193, and the i7-3635QM averages 1170, a negligible difference that places both in the same performance tier (both sit at the 33rd percentile in the database).

Architecture Differences

The most significant architectural difference lies in the core and thread counts. The i3-4170 is a dual-core processor with Hyper-Threading, providing 2 cores and 4 threads. The i7-3635QM is a true quad-core with Hyper-Threading, providing 4 cores and 8 threads. This physical core advantage is the primary driver of the i7's Cinebench wins.

The process nodes are identical: both are built on Intel's 22 nm process. The transistor counts are very close as well, with the i3-4170 packing 1,400 million transistors and the i7-3635QM slightly higher at 1,480 million. Die sizes differ, with the i3 at 177 mm² and the i7 at a smaller 160 mm². This suggests the i7's design is more densely packed, likely due to its larger cache allocation.

Cache configuration is another key differentiator. Both have the same per-core L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (256 KB per core) caches. The L3 cache, however, is doubled on the i7. The i3-4170 has 3 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i7-3635QM has 6 MB. This larger cache pool helps the i7 in multi-threaded workloads where more data needs to be quickly accessible to all cores.

The architectures themselves are from different generations. The i3-4170 uses the Haswell architecture (codename Haswell), while the i7-3635QM uses the older Ivy Bridge architecture. This generational gap explains the i3's superior single-thread performance in Geekbench, as Haswell brought significant IPC improvements over Ivy Bridge.

Memory support is limited in the data. Both support dual-channel memory. The i3-4170 explicitly supports DDR3 with a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the i7-3635QM's memory support and bandwidth fields are not recorded. The integrated graphics also differ: the i3-4170 features Intel HD 4400, while the i7-3635QM has the older Intel HD 4000.

The i3-4170 is a desktop part using the Intel Socket 1150, while the i7-3635QM is a mobile part soldered to the board via Intel BGA 1224. The i7 also has a boost clock of 3.40 GHz, while the i3 has no boost capability, running at a fixed 3.70 GHz. The i3's TDP is 54 watts, while the i7's is lower at 45 watts, a notable achievement for the i7 given its higher core count. Finally, the i3-4170 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the i7's PCIe information is not recorded.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-3635QM is the clear winner for multi-threaded, render-heavy workloads. Its 25% lead across all Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multicore tests makes it the obvious choice for video editing, 3D rendering, and any task that can utilize all eight threads. The consistent 25% delta in every Cinebench test indicates a robust and scalable advantage that will hold up under sustained load. The larger 6 MB L3 cache also supports this use case, as it reduces the performance penalty of cache misses in complex, data-heavy applications.

The Intel Core i3-4170 is the winner for single-threaded performance as measured by Geekbench. Its 104.9% advantage in Geekbench single-core is not just a small victory; it is a dominant performance that suggests the Haswell architecture has a massive IPC lead over Ivy Bridge in this specific test. This translates to snappier response in everyday desktop tasks, older software that is not well-optimized for many cores, and applications like web browsing, office productivity, and light coding where single-core speed is paramount. Its Geekbench multicore win of 13.6% also indicates that even in multi-threaded Geekbench tests, the i3's architectural efficiency can overcome the i7's extra cores.

The i7-3635QM also wins the single-core Cinebench tests by 25%, which seems to contradict the Geekbench result. This suggests that the two benchmark suites stress different aspects of the CPU. Cinebench appears to favor the i7's higher boost clock and core count even in its single-threaded test, while Geekbench favors the i3's newer architecture. Users should consider which benchmark suite better mirrors their actual workload.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice based on workload type, not a universal winner. If the primary use case is multi-threaded rendering, encoding, or any professional content creation task that scales with cores, the Intel Core i7-3635QM is the superior processor. The 25% advantage in Cinebench R23 multicore (4057 vs 3038) is decisive and consistent. Its 4 cores and 8 threads provide a future-proofing advantage for increasingly multi-threaded software.

If the primary use case is general desktop responsiveness, single-threaded applications, or legacy software, the Intel Core i3-4170 is the better choice. The 104.9% lead in Geekbench single-core (1090 vs 532) is staggering and indicates a much more efficient architecture for single-threaded tasks. The 13.6% win in Geekbench multicore also shows that the newer architecture can sometimes outperform more cores.

For a mobile user, the i7-3635QM is the only option that makes sense, as it is a BGA socket part. For a desktop user building a new system, the i3-4170 on Socket 1150 is the only option. The i7's 45 W TDP is lower than the i3's 54 W, which is an advantage for laptops but irrelevant for a desktop. The launch MSRP of the i3-4170 is $117, which is only useful as a historical data point. The i7-3635QM has no recorded launch MSRP. Ultimately, the i7-3635QM wins for raw multi-core throughput, while the i3-4170 wins for architectural efficiency and single-core speed.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core rendering?

A: The Intel Core i7-3635QM is faster. It wins all Cinebench multicore tests by 25%, including Cinebench R23 multicore with a score of 4057 versus the i3-4170's 3038.

Q: Which processor has better single-core performance?

A: It depends on the benchmark. The i7-3635QM wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 25% (572 vs 429). However, the i3-4170 wins Geekbench single-core by a massive 104.9% (1090 vs 532).

Q: How many cores and threads does each processor have?

A: The i3-4170 has 2 cores and 4 threads. The i7-3635QM has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What is the difference in L3 cache size?

A: The i3-4170 has 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-3635QM has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, which is double the amount.

Q: Which processor is more power efficient?

A: The i7-3635QM has a lower TDP at 45 watts, compared to the i3-4170's 54 watts, despite having more cores.

Q: Are these processors from the same generation?

A: No. The i3-4170 is based on the Haswell architecture, while the i7-3635QM is based on the older Ivy Bridge architecture. Both are built on a 22 nm process.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-4170 | Intel Core i7-3635QM |

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

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 3.70 GHz | 2.40 GHz |

| Boost Clock | None | 3.40 GHz |

| TDP | 54 W | 45 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | Intel BGA 1224 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Ivy Bridge |

| Codename | Haswell | Ivy Bridge |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | 1,480 million |

| Die Size | 177 mm² | 160 mm² |

| L3 Cache | 3 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | Not recorded |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Not recorded |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4400 | Intel HD 4000 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2014-04-30 | 2012-08-31 |