Intel Core i3-4330T vs Intel Core i5-5350U Comparison

The Intel Core i3-4330T and Intel Core i5-5350U are two low-power dual-core processors from different eras and market segments. The i3-4330T is a 35 W desktop part built on 22 nm Haswell, while the i5-5350U is a 15 W mobile chip on 14 nm Broadwell. Despite the i5’s newer architecture and higher model number, the benchmark data consistently favors the older desktop chip across every tested workload, making this a clear case where thermal envelope and platform constraints outweigh generational improvements.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are unambiguous: the Intel Core i3-4330T wins all five Cinebench comparisons, with no victories for the i5-5350U. The largest margin appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the i3-4330T scores 2639 against the i5-5350U’s 2198, a 20.1% advantage. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the i3-4330T posts 1108 versus 923, a 20% lead. Single-core performance tells a similar story: in Cinebench R20 single-core, the i3-4330T scores 156 compared to 130 for the i5-5350U, again a 20% difference. The Cinebench R23 single-core result is 372 for the i3-4330T and 310 for the i5-5350U, a 20% gap. The oldest test in the set, Cinebench R15 multi-core, shows 265 for the i3-4330T and 221 for the i5-5350U, a 19.9% edge.

These margins are remarkably consistent, hovering near 20% across all tests. The i3-4330T’s base clock of 3.00 GHz, compared to the i5-5350U’s 1.80 GHz base and 2.90 GHz boost, explains the single-core advantage; the desktop part maintains a higher frequency without needing to ramp up. In multi-core workloads, the i5-5350U’s boost behavior cannot close the gap, as both chips have identical core and thread counts (2 cores, 4 threads). The i3-4330T’s larger 4 MB shared L3 cache, versus 3 MB on the i5-5350U, likely contributes to the sustained performance lead.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this hierarchy: the i3-4330T averages 908 across all tests, while the i5-5350U averages 903. The i3-4330T’s nearest rival list includes the Intel Core i3-10110Y and AMD Ryzen 3 3250U, both with matching average scores of 908, and the AMD PRO A12-9800E at 910 (-0.3% delta). The i5-5350U, by contrast, sits near the Intel Core i7-940 (903, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-4258U (902, 0.1% delta). Notably, the i5-5350U’s rivals list includes the i3-4330T itself, with a -0.6% delta, meaning the i3-4330T scores slightly higher on average.

The i5-5350U does have additional Geekbench results not available for the i3-4330T: a multi-core score of 1671 and a single-core score of 868. These numbers place it in a similar percentile class, but without a direct i3-4330T comparison in Geekbench, the Cinebench data remains the primary basis for head-to-head analysis. Both processors sit at the 24th percentile among all CPUs, indicating they are entry-level performers in the broader market.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different process nodes and microarchitectures. The i3-4330T uses Intel’s 22 nm Haswell design, while the i5-5350U is built on 14 nm Broadwell. This node shrink gives the i5-5350U a significant transistor density advantage: it packs 1,900 million transistors into a 133 mm² die, whereas the i3-4330T has 1,400 million transistors across a 177 mm² die. The smaller process allows the i5-5350U to operate at a much lower 15 W TDP compared to the i3-4330T’s 35 W, a critical difference for mobile applications.

Cache configurations differ as well. Both chips have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, but the shared L3 cache is larger on the i3-4330T at 4 MB versus 3 MB on the i5-5350U. This extra cache likely benefits the desktop part in workloads that reuse data, contributing to its consistent performance edge.

Platform support is another major divergence. The i3-4330T uses Intel Socket 1150 and is a desktop-market part, while the i5-5350U uses Intel BGA 1168, a soldered mobile socket. The i3-4330T supports PCIe Gen 3, whereas the i5-5350U is limited to PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes (CPU only). Memory support is DDR3 dual-channel for both, but the i5-5350U has a specified memory bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s, a figure not listed for the i3-4330T. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers.

Integrated graphics differ: the i3-4330T includes Intel HD 4600, while the i5-5350U features Intel HD 6000. The newer HD 6000 in the i5-5350U likely offers better media capabilities, though no benchmark data is provided for graphics performance. The i5-5350U is marked as end-of-life in production status, while the i3-4330T has no such designation. Release dates are roughly 18 months apart: the i3-4330T launched in August 2013, and the i5-5350U in February 2015.

The market segments reflect their intended use cases: desktop for the i3-4330T and mobile for the i5-5350U. This explains the socket differences and the i5-5350U’s lower TDP, which is designed for thin-and-light laptops. The i5-5350U’s launch MSRP is $315, though this price is not directly comparable to the i3-4330T, which has no listed MSRP.

The Verdict

From the data, the Intel Core i3-4330T is the superior performer in every benchmarked workload. It leads by approximately 20% in all Cinebench tests, including both single-core and multi-core variants. For users who prioritize raw CPU performance in tasks like rendering or CPU-bound applications, the i3-4330T is the clear choice, provided the platform supports a 35 W desktop processor with Socket 1150.

The i5-5350U’s advantages are not in raw speed but in efficiency and platform fit. Its 15 W TDP is less than half of the i3-4330T’s 35 W, making it suitable for passively cooled or fanless mobile designs. The newer 14 nm process and higher transistor count (1,900 million versus 1,400 million) suggest better power efficiency per operation, though this is not directly measured in the provided benchmarks. The i5-5350U also has a defined memory bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s and newer integrated graphics (Intel HD 6000 versus HD 4600), which could benefit media-centric workloads.

The average benchmark scores are nearly identical — 908 for the i3-4330T and 903 for the i5-5350U — but this masks the consistent 20% edge in the shared tests. The i3-4330T’s higher base clock (3.00 GHz versus 1.80 GHz) and larger L3 cache (4 MB versus 3 MB) are the primary drivers of its performance lead. The i5-5350U’s boost clock of 2.90 GHz nearly matches the i3-4330T’s base clock, but it cannot sustain that frequency under multi-core load as effectively, given the same 2-core/4-thread configuration.

For a desktop system where power consumption is not a constraint, the i3-4330T is the better processor based on benchmark results. For a mobile device where battery life and thermals matter more than peak throughput, the i5-5350U is the only viable option among these two, given its BGA 1168 socket and lower TDP. Both chips sit at the 24th percentile among all CPUs, indicating they are entry-level parts, but the i3-4330T consistently outperforms its mobile counterpart in compute tasks.

Specification Differences

• Base clock: 3.00 GHz (i3-4330T) vs 1.80 GHz (i5-5350U)
• Boost clock: None (i3-4330T) vs 2.90 GHz (i5-5350U)
• TDP: 35 W (i3-4330T) vs 15 W (i5-5350U)
• Socket: Intel Socket 1150 (i3-4330T) vs Intel BGA 1168 (i5-5350U)
• Architecture / codename: Haswell (i3-4330T) vs Broadwell / Broadwell-U (i5-5350U)
• Process node: 22 nm (i3-4330T) vs 14 nm (i5-5350U)
• Transistors: 1,400 million (i3-4330T) vs 1,900 million (i5-5350U)
• Die size: 177 mm² (i3-4330T) vs 133 mm² (i5-5350U)
• L3 cache: 4 MB shared (i3-4330T) vs 3 MB shared (i5-5350U)
• Memory bandwidth: Not listed (i3-4330T) vs 29.9 GB/s (i5-5350U)
• PCIe: Gen 3 (i3-4330T) vs Gen 2, 12 Lanes (CPU only) (i5-5350U)
• Integrated graphics: Intel HD 4600 (i3-4330T) vs Intel HD 6000 (i5-5350U)
• Market segment: Desktop (i3-4330T) vs Mobile (i5-5350U)
• Production status: Not listed (i3-4330T) vs End-of-life (i5-5350U)
• Release date: 2013-08-31 (i3-4330T) vs 2015-02-28 (i5-5350U)
• Launch MSRP: None (i3-4330T) vs $315 (i5-5350U)
• Part number: SR1NK (i3-4330T) vs SR268 (i5-5350U)

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i3-4330T has a base clock of 3.00 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-5350U has a base clock of 1.80 GHz.

Q: How much larger is the L3 cache on the i3-4330T compared to the i5-5350U?

A: The i3-4330T has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-5350U has 3 MB, a difference of 1 MB.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The i3-4330T has a TDP of 35 W, while the i5-5350U has a TDP of 15 W, making the i5 part more than twice as power-efficient in terms of rated thermal output.

Q: Which chip has a higher Cinebench R23 multi-core score?

A: The i3-4330T scores 2639 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, compared to 2198 for the i5-5350U, a 20.1% advantage.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No, neither the i3-4330T nor the i5-5350U supports ECC memory.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each processor?

A: The i3-4330T has an average benchmark score of 908, while the i5-5350U has an average score of 903, a difference of 5 points in favor of the i3 part.