Intel Core i3-4370 vs Intel Core i5-4690T Comparison

The Intel Core i3-4370 and Intel Core i5-4690T are both 22 nm Haswell parts on the Intel Socket 1150 platform, but they target different corners of the desktop market. The core data shows a clear performance split: the i5-4690T wins all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, with margins ranging from 15.9% to 16%. Despite this, the two chips sit at the same 32nd percentile among all CPUs, with nearly identical average benchmark scores (1130 vs 1129). The i3-4370 offers a very high 3.80 GHz base clock with Hyper-Threading, while the i5-4690T uses four physical cores at a lower 2.50 GHz base and a 3.50 GHz boost. The benchmark results indicate that raw core count and boost behavior matter more than clock speed in multi-threaded workloads, but the i3 remains a viable pick for single-thread responsiveness at a lower power draw.

The Verdict

From the data, the Intel Core i5-4690T is the better choice for any workload that scales beyond two threads. It wins every Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core test, with scores of 393 vs 330 (R15), 1640 vs 1379 (R20), and 3905 vs 3284 (R23). The i5-4690T also wins single-core tests decisively: 231 vs 194 in R20 single-core and 551 vs 463 in R23 single-core, a 16% advantage in both cases. That is a surprising result given the i3-4370’s higher 3.80 GHz base clock, but the i5’s 3.50 GHz boost clock and four physical cores deliver more work per cycle in these benchmarks.

Pick the i5-4690T if you need sustained multi-threaded performance in rendering or compilation tasks, even at a lower TDP of 45 W. The i3-4370, with its 54 W TDP and two cores, is only preferable if you are locked into a motherboard that lacks four-core support or if you specifically want Hyper-Threading on a dual-core part. The performance gap is consistent across all tested Cinebench versions, so there is no hidden workload where the i3-4370 pulls ahead in the data. For a socket 1150 build, the i5-4690T is the superior part by every measured benchmark.

Architecture Differences

Both CPUs share the same Haswell architecture, 22 nm process node, 1,400 million transistors, and 177 mm² die size. They also use the same Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics and dual-channel DDR3 memory support. The fundamental difference lies in core configuration: the i3-4370 has 2 cores and 4 threads via Hyper-Threading, while the i5-4690T has 4 physical cores and 4 threads with no Hyper-Threading. This affects how each chip handles parallel workloads, as the i5’s extra physical cores provide more raw execution resources.

Cache allocations differ as well. The i3-4370 has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-4690T has 6 MB of shared L3 cache. Per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB) caches are identical. The i5-4690T also carries a 25.6 GB/s memory bandwidth figure, while the i3-4370 does not list a specific bandwidth value in the data. Clock speeds are starkly different: the i3 runs at a fixed 3.80 GHz with no boost, while the i5 runs at 2.50 GHz base and boosts to 3.50 GHz. The i5-4690T has a lower TDP of 45 W versus the i3-4370’s 54 W, meaning the four-core part is more power-efficient on paper despite having more cores.

Another notable difference is PCIe configuration. The i5-4690T lists PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i3-4370 simply says Gen 3 without lane specifics. The i5 also has a part number (SR1QT), and its release date is earlier (April 30, 2014) versus the i3’s July 20, 2014. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers, so overclocking is not an option for either.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has higher single-core performance?

A: The i5-4690T wins all single-core Cinebench tests. In Cinebench R20 single-core, it scores 231 versus the i3-4370’s 194, and in R23 single-core it scores 551 versus 463, a 16% lead in both cases.

Q: Does the i3-4370’s higher base clock help it in any benchmark?

A: No. Despite the i3-4370’s 3.80 GHz base clock versus the i5-4690T’s 2.50 GHz, the i5 wins every head-to-head benchmark. The i5’s 3.50 GHz boost clock and four physical cores outweigh the i3’s raw clock advantage.

Q: Are these CPUs compatible with the same motherboards?

A: Yes, both use the Intel Socket 1150. They also share the Haswell architecture and 22 nm process, so they fit the same platform. The i5-4690T supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i3-4370 lists PCIe Gen 3 without lane specifics.

Q: Which CPU has more cache?

A: The i5-4690T has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i3-4370 has 4 MB. Both have identical per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB) caches. The i5 also lists 25.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, which the i3 does not.

Q: What are the power draw differences?

A: The i5-4690T has a TDP of 45 W, lower than the i3-4370’s 54 W. This means the four-core i5 is rated for less power consumption despite having more cores.

Q: Is the i3-4370 a good choice for multi-threaded work?

A: Based on the data, no. The i3-4370 scores 330 in Cinebench R15 multi-core versus the i5-4690T’s 393, and 1379 versus 1640 in R20 multi-core. The i5 is consistently about 16% faster across all multi-core tests.

Specification Differences

The table below lists only the fields where the two CPUs differ, per the data:

| Specification | Intel Core i3-4370 | Intel Core i5-4690T |

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

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.80 GHz | 2.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | None | 3.50 GHz |

| TDP | 54 W | 45 W |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

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

| PCIe | Gen 3 | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Generation | Core i3 (Haswell) | Core i5 (Haswell) |

| Release Date | July 20, 2014 | April 30, 2014 |

| Part Number | Not listed | SR1QT |

Both CPUs share identical L1 and L2 cache sizes, socket, architecture, process node, foundry, transistors, die size, memory support type, memory bus, ECC support, integrated graphics, and market segment. Neither has a launch MSRP in the data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i5-4690T dominates every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, with no wins for the i3-4370. The narrowest margin is in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the i5 scores 1640 against the i3’s 1379, a 15.9% difference. The widest margins are exactly 16%, appearing in Cinebench R15 multi-core (393 vs 330), R20 single-core (231 vs 194), and R23 single-core (551 vs 463). The R23 multi-core test shows a 15.9% gap (3905 vs 3284).

The single-core results are particularly telling. The i3-4370’s 3.80 GHz base clock gives it a theoretical clock advantage of 1.30 GHz over the i5’s 2.50 GHz base, yet the i5’s boost to 3.50 GHz closes most of that gap. In practice, the i5-4690T scores 16% higher in both single-core tests. That suggests the i5’s architecture or boost behavior delivers more instructions per clock, or that the i3’s Hyper-Threading overhead penalizes single-threaded tasks.

In multi-core tests, the i5’s four physical cores provide a clear scaling advantage over the i3’s two cores with Hyper-Threading. The 15.9-16% delta is consistent across R15, R20, and R23, indicating that the performance gap is stable regardless of the Cinebench version’s workload intensity. The i5-4690T’s lower TDP (45 W vs 54 W) makes these wins even more impressive from an efficiency standpoint.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-4690T wins in every measured category: multi-core rendering, single-core responsiveness, and by extension any workload that uses the Cinebench engine. Its 6 MB L3 cache and four physical cores give it a structural advantage in parallel tasks, while its 3.50 GHz boost clock keeps single-threaded performance high. The i5 also wins on power efficiency, with a 45 W TDP versus the i3’s 54 W, meaning it delivers more performance while consuming less power according to the ratings.

The i3-4370 has no benchmark wins to claim. Its only theoretical advantages are a higher fixed clock speed (3.80 GHz) and Hyper-Threading, which adds two extra threads. However, the data shows that these features do not translate into any Cinebench victory. The i3’s 4 MB L3 cache is smaller, and its higher TDP makes it less efficient.

For a builder choosing between these two on the same socket 1150 platform, the i5-4690T is the clear pick for any multi-threaded workload like video encoding, 3D rendering, or software compilation. The i3-4370 might still serve in a basic office PC where single-threaded tasks dominate, but even there, the i5’s single-core scores are higher. The i5-4690T’s earlier release date and part number suggest it was a deliberate low-power four-core option, and the benchmarks confirm that it outperforms the dual-core i3-4370 across the board. There is no scenario in the data where the i3-4370 comes out ahead.