Intel Core i3-7350K vs Intel Core i7-4712HQ Comparison

The Intel Core i3-7350K and the Intel Core i7-4712HQ are two chips from different eras and different markets that ended up in nearly the same place on the performance ladder. The database places the i3-7350K at the 38th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 1462, while the i7-4712HQ sits at the 37th percentile with an average of 1436. That is a statistical tie, but the individual benchmark results show two very different profiles: one is a high-clocking dual-core desktop part, the other a lower-clocked quad-core mobile part that wins most of the rendering tests. Understanding which profile fits your workload matters far more than the near-identical averages.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall?

A: Neither, decisively. The i3-7350K holds an average benchmark score of 1462 against 1436 for the i7-4712HQ, a gap of well under two percent. However, the i7-4712HQ wins 6 of the 8 recorded benchmarks, while the i3-7350K wins both Geekbench tests.

Q: Which CPU is better for single-threaded workloads?

A: It depends on the test. The i7-4712HQ wins every Cinebench single-core test, for example scoring 637 versus 585 in Cinebench R23, an 8.2 percent lead. But in Geekbench single-core the i3-7350K dominates with 1488 points against 923, a 61.2 percent advantage.

Q: Which CPU is better for multi-core rendering?

A: The i7-4712HQ. Its 4 cores and 8 threads beat the 2 cores and 4 threads of the i3-7350K in every Cinebench multi-core run, including 4512 versus 4144 points in Cinebench R23, an 8.2 percent win.

Q: Can either CPU be overclocked?

A: Only the i3-7350K. It has an unlocked multiplier, while the i7-4712HQ is locked.

Q: Are these CPUs still in production?

A: The i3-7350K is listed as active. The i7-4712HQ is end-of-life. Note the i7-4712HQ uses a BGA 1364 package, meaning it is soldered to its motherboard, so it was never user-replaceable in the first place.

Q: What memory does each platform use?

A: The i3-7350K supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s of dual-channel bandwidth. The i7-4712HQ supports DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s of dual-channel bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

These chips come from two different Intel architecture generations. The i3-7350K is Kaby Lake, built on a 14 nm process, while the i7-4712HQ is Haswell on a 22 nm process. The i7-4712HQ carries 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die; the database records no transistor count or die size for the i3-7350K.

The core topology is the fundamental divide. Kaby Lake gave the i3-7350K just 2 cores and 4 threads, but at a high 4.20 GHz base clock with no boost clock listed, because that base clock is essentially the operating speed. Haswell gave the i7-4712HQ 4 cores and 8 threads at a 2.30 GHz base with a 3.30 GHz boost, meaning it can raise speed on lightly loaded threads but never approaches the i3's steady 4.20 GHz.

Cache favors the quad-core: 6 MB of shared L3 on the i7-4712HQ versus 4 MB shared on the i3-7350K. L1 and L2 are identical on paper, at 64 KB and 256 KB per core respectively. Both chips have 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU, neither supports ECC memory, and both use dual-channel memory controllers, though on different memory generations.

Integrated graphics differ by generation: Intel HD 630 on the Kaby Lake chip and Intel HD 4600 on the Haswell chip. Finally, the power envelopes diverge sharply, a 60 W TDP desktop part versus a 37 W TDP mobile part, and the i7-4712HQ's launch MSRP was $378, while no launch MSRP is recorded for the i3-7350K.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-4712HQ owns sustained multi-threaded work. Every Cinebench version in the database, R15, R20, and R23, shows the quad-core ahead in multi-core by a consistent 8.1 to 8.2 percent. Its 8 threads also win every Cinebench single-core test, which is notable given the i3's much higher clock, suggesting the Haswell cores plus 3.30 GHz boost hold up well in that specific rendering workload. Any user running rendering, encoding, or other thread-hungry software gets more from the i7-4712HQ's results.

The i3-7350K owns responsiveness and bursty general computing. Its Geekbench results are dramatically better: 61.2 percent ahead in single-core and 10.4 percent ahead in multi-core. Geekbench rewards high sustained clocks and memory subsystem speed, and the i3's 4.20 GHz constant clock plus 38.4 GB/s of DDR4 bandwidth clearly play to that. For desktop snappiness, lightly threaded applications, and anything that leans on one fast thread plus fast memory, the recorded data points to the i3.

Context from each chip's rival set reinforces the tie. The i3-7350K sits within a fraction of a percent of the Intel Core i7-4710HQ, Intel Xeon E3-1225 v5, Intel Xeon E3-1515M v5, and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE. The i7-4712HQ is similarly bracketed by the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G, Intel Core i7-2600K, AMD Ryzen 3 2200GE, and Intel Xeon E3-1505L v5. Both chips occupy the same performance neighborhood from different directions.

Specification Differences

The differing fields, side by side:

• Cores/Threads: i3-7350K has 2 cores and 4 threads; i7-4712HQ has 4 cores and 8 threads.
• Clocks: i3-7350K runs a 4.20 GHz base with no boost listed; i7-4712HQ runs 2.30 GHz base and 3.30 GHz boost.
• TDP: 60 W on the i3-7350K versus 37 W on the i7-4712HQ.
• Socket: Intel Socket 1151 for the i3-7350K; soldered Intel BGA 1364 for the i7-4712HQ.
• Architecture/Node: Kaby Lake at 14 nm versus Haswell at 22 nm.
• L3 Cache: 4 MB shared versus 6 MB shared.
• Memory: DDR4 at 38.4 GB/s versus DDR3 at 25.6 GB/s, both dual-channel.
• Integrated Graphics: Intel HD 630 versus Intel HD 4600.
• Market/Status: Desktop and active versus Mobile and end-of-life.
• Release Date: the i3-7350K launched in early 2017; the i7-4712HQ launched in 2014.
• Multiplier: unlocked on the i3-7350K, locked on the i7-4712HQ.
• Part Numbers: SR35B versus SR1PZ.

Shared traits include the Intel foundry, identical per-core L1 and L2 cache sizes, 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes, no ECC support, and dual-channel memory buses.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i7-4712HQ's six wins follow one pattern: it sweeps Cinebench. In R15 multi-core it scores 454 against 417, an 8.1 percent lead. In R20 multi-core it posts 1895 versus 1740, up 8.2 percent, and in R23 multi-core it records 4512 versus 4144, again 8.2 percent. The single-core Cinebench results repeat the story: 64 versus 58 in R15 (9.4 percent), 267 versus 245 in R20 (8.2 percent), and 637 versus 585 in R23 (8.2 percent). The consistency of that 8 percent margin across three Cinebench generations, in both single and multi-core modes, indicates a genuine architectural and throughput advantage in rendering workloads rather than test noise.

The i3-7350K's two wins are its blowout. Geekbench multi-core goes to the i3 at 3018 versus 2734, a 10.4 percent lead, which is remarkable for a 2-core chip against an 8-thread rival and points to per-core efficiency and platform speed. Geekbench single-core is not close: 1488 against 923, a 61.2 percent gap. That is the largest margin in the entire comparison and the clearest signal in the dataset. Any workload that behaves like Geekbench, short bursty tasks driven by one thread, strongly favors the Kaby Lake chip.

The split decision is why the average scores nearly cancel out. Six narrow-to-moderate losses balance two wins, one of them enormous, leaving the i3-7350K's 1462 average just above the i7-4712HQ's 1436.

The Verdict

Pick based on workload, not the averages, because the averages are a statistical dead heat. If the machine will run rendering, encoding, or any software that scales across threads, the recorded Cinebench results make the i7-4712HQ the better performer, ahead by roughly 8 percent in every multi-core rendering test. Its 37 W TDP and 6 MB of L3 also suit a sustained, efficiency-oriented workload profile.

If the machine will run general desktop tasks, older games, or lightly threaded software, the i3-7350K is the clear choice. Its 61.2 percent Geekbench single-core lead, 10.4 percent Geekbench multi-core win, and 4.20 GHz clock on a modern 14 nm node with DDR4 support make it the faster-feeling chip for everyday use. The unlocked multiplier adds tuning headroom the locked i7 cannot match.

Platform reality also matters. The i7-4712HQ is end-of-life and soldered to its BGA 1364 board, so it only exists inside whatever laptop it shipped in. The i3-7350K is an active Socket 1151 desktop part that can still be built around. For a builder choosing a system today, the i3-7350K is the practical pick for general use and responsiveness, while the i7-4712HQ's edge only pays off in the multi-threaded rendering workloads where the data shows it winning.