Intel Core i3-8300 vs Intel Core i5-4670S Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear and consistent victory for the Intel Core i3-8300 across every single benchmark in the comparison. In six head-to-head tests, the i3-8300 wins all six, with no wins recorded for the Intel Core i5-4670S. This is not a marginal victory either; the margins are strikingly uniform, hovering around 21 percent in every discipline.

Starting with multi-core performance, the i3-8300 posts a Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 545 against 448 for the i5-4670S. That translates to a 21.7 percent advantage. The pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the i3-8300 scores 2271 versus 1870, again a 21.4 percent lead. In the newer Cinebench R23 multi-core test, the i3-8300 reaches 5408 while the i5-4670S manages 4454, a 21.4 percent gap. These are substantial margins that suggest the i3-8300 is not just slightly faster but meaningfully ahead in threaded workloads.

Single-core performance tells the same story. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i3-8300 scores 76 against 63, a 20.6 percent advantage. Cinebench R20 single-core shows 320 versus 263, a 21.7 percent lead. Cinebench R23 single-core completes the sweep with 763 versus 628, a 21.5 percent edge. The consistency of these deltas, all falling between 20.6 percent and 21.7 percent, indicates that the i3-8300's advantage is architectural and fundamental rather than workload-specific. Whether the task is lightly threaded or fully saturated, the i3-8300 holds roughly the same lead.

The average benchmark score in the database reinforces this hierarchy. The i3-8300 records an average score of 1564, placing it in the 39th percentile of all CPUs tracked. The i5-4670S averages 1526, landing in the 38th percentile. While the percentile difference is small, the average score gap of 38 points is consistent with the head-to-head results. The i3-8300's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-6600T at an average score of 1563 with a delta of 0 percent, and the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X at 1562 with a delta of 0.1 percent. The i5-4670S, by contrast, sits near the Intel Core i5-7440HQ at 1527 (delta 0 percent) and the Intel Pentium Gold G7400E at 1524 (delta 0.1 percent). In other words, the i3-8300 competes in a slightly higher performance tier than the i5-4670S, and the head-to-head data confirms the i3-8300 belongs in that higher tier.

It is notably the i5-4670S was also tested in Geekbench, where it scored 3300 multi-core and 1184 single-core. The i3-8300 has no comparable Geekbench scores in this data set, so no direct comparison is possible for those tests. However, the i3-8300's clean sweep in the Cinebench family is sufficient to establish the overall direction of the matchup.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different generations and different manufacturing nodes. The i3-8300 is built on Coffee Lake, Intel's 14 nm process, with a die size of 126 mm². The i5-4670S is a Haswell part on Intel's older 22 nm process, with a die size of 177 mm² and 1,400 million transistors. The smaller 14 nm node gives the i3-8300 a density advantage, allowing it to deliver higher performance while keeping power consumption in check. The i3-8300 has a TDP of 62 watts, slightly lower than the i5-4670S at 65 watts.

Both processors feature four cores and four threads, so raw thread count is identical. The difference lies in clock speeds and cache. The i3-8300 has a base clock of 3.70 GHz with no boost clock listed. The i5-4670S has a lower base clock of 3.10 GHz but can boost up to 3.80 GHz. Despite the i5-4670S's higher peak boost, the i3-8300 still wins all single-threaded benchmarks by roughly 21 percent. This suggests the newer architecture's per-clock efficiency is substantially better, and its higher base clock gives it an edge in sustained single-thread workloads.

Cache configuration also favors the i3-8300. Both chips share the same per-core L1 cache at 64 KB and per-core L2 cache at 256 KB. The difference appears in the shared L3 cache: the i3-8300 has 8 MB shared, while the i5-4670S has 6 MB shared. That 2 MB difference in last-level cache can matter in workloads that repeatedly access a larger working set.

Memory support is a major architectural divergence. The i3-8300 uses DDR4 memory with dual-channel memory support and a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The i5-4670S uses DDR3 with dual-channel support, and the database records no memory bandwidth figure for it. The i3-8300 also supports ECC memory, a feature the i5-4670S lacks. For users building a system from scratch, the i3-8300's DDR4 support aligns it with modern platforms, while the i5-4670S requires older DDR3 modules.

Socket compatibility further separates the two. The i3-8300 uses the Intel Socket 1151 interface, while the i5-4670S uses the older Intel Socket 1150. This means the two chips are not interchangeable in a motherboard, and any platform decision effectively locks in one processor or the other. The i3-8300 also carries a Gen 3 PCIe interface with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the i5-4670S lists Gen 3 PCIe without a specific lane count in the database.

Integrated graphics differ as well. The i3-8300 includes UHD Graphics 630, a newer iGPU generation. The i5-4670S includes Intel HD 630, which is not comparable in architecture to the newer part. The i5-4670S ships with Intel HD 4600. The i3-8300's integrated graphics are the more modern implementation, though no benchmark data for iGPU performance appears in this dataset.

The i3-8300 was released on 2018-02-13 and carries a launch MSRP of $138. The i5-4670S was released on 2013-06-01 with no launch MSRP recorded. The i3-8300 is marked as end-of-life in production status, while the i5-4670S has no production status listed. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not a differentiator here.

Where Each One Wins

Looking strictly at the benchmark results, the i3-8300 wins every category. There is no workload in the recorded data where the i5-4670S comes out ahead. The i3-8300 wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, with wins in both multi-core and single-core tests. The margins are consistent, ranging from 20.6 percent to 21.7 percent, so there is no niche or corner case where the older i5-4670S manages to close the gap.

For users who prioritize multi-threaded applications such as video rendering, 3D modeling, or batch processing, the i3-8300's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 5408 versus 4454 demonstrates a clear advantage. The 21.4 percent lead in that test suggests the i3-8300 will finish render jobs noticeably faster. Similarly, in lightly threaded tasks like everyday desktop use, web browsing, or office productivity, the i3-8300's single-core scores (763 in R23 versus 628) indicate snappier response times and faster application launch behavior.

The i5-4670S does have a higher boost clock at 3.80 GHz compared to the i3-8300's fixed 3.70 GHz base with no boost listed. In theory, that could help the i5-4670S in short bursts of single-threaded activity. However, the benchmark data shows the opposite: the i3-8300 still wins single-core Cinebench tests by over 20 percent. The architectural efficiency of Coffee Lake outweighs any small clock advantage the Haswell part might hold.

The i5-4670S also has a slightly lower TDP of 65 watts versus 62 watts for the i3-8300, but that difference is minor and does not translate into any performance win. The i5-4670S's DDR3 memory support could be an advantage for someone reusing an older motherboard and DDR3 RAM, but that is a platform consideration rather than a performance result in the database.

For anyone building a new system, the i3-8300 is the clear choice based on every recorded metric. For anyone upgrading an existing Haswell platform, the i5-4670S may be the only socket-compatible option, but the data shows it is the weaker performer in this matchup.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i3-8300 is the superior processor in every measurable way according to the database. It wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, posts a higher average benchmark score (1564 versus 1526), and ranks in a higher percentile of all CPUs (39th versus 38th). The margin of victory is substantial and consistent, hovering around 21 percent across both single-core and multi-core Cinebench tests.

The i3-8300's advantages extend beyond raw benchmark scores. It uses a newer 14 nm manufacturing process, supports DDR4 memory with ECC capability, includes a larger 8 MB shared L3 cache, and features UHD Graphics 630. It also carries a lower TDP of 62 watts versus 65 watts for the i5-4670S, making it more power-efficient despite being faster.

The i5-4670S is not without merits in a historical context. It was released in 2013 and represents the Haswell architecture at a time when 22 nm was a leading-edge process node. Its 3.80 GHz boost clock is high, and its 1,400 million transistors show a substantial engineering effort. Its DDR3 support could be useful in legacy systems, and its position near the i5-4670S in average score (1526 average score) shows it was a capable mid-range desktop chip in its era.

For a buyer choosing between these two specific parts today, the i3-8300 is the only rational pick from a pure performance standpoint. The i3-8300's 21.4 percent lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core tests means it will complete heavy workloads much faster, and its single-core lead of 21.5 percent makes it better suited for responsive everyday computing. The data does not reveal a single scenario where the i5-4670S outperforms the i3-8300, so the verdict is unambiguous.

The i3-8300's launch MSRP of $138 places it in a competitive position among modern entry-level processors, and its average score of 1564 shows it performing at a level near the Intel Core i5-4670S despite costing less at launch. The i5-4670S has no recorded launch MSRP, so no direct price comparison is possible from the data.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins in multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-8300 wins in all multi-core Cinebench tests. It scores 545 in R15 multi-core versus 448, 2271 in R20 multi-core versus 1870, and 5408 in R23 multi-core versus 4454. The deltas are 21.4 percent in each case.

Q: How does single-core performance compare?

A: The i3-8300 wins every single-core test as well. It scores 76 versus 63 in R15 single-core, 320 versus 263 in R20 single-core, and 763 versus 628 in R23 single-core. The deltas range from 20.6 percent to 21.5 percent.

Q: Are the two processors architecturally similar?

**A: No, they are built on different nodes and sockets. The i3-8300 uses 14 nm Coffee Lake on Socket 1151, while the i5-4670S uses 22 nm Haswell on Socket 1150. They are not interchangeable.

Q: Which CPU has more cache?

A: The i3-8300 has a larger shared L3 cache at 8 MB shared, while the i5-4670S has 6 MB shared. L1 cache per core is identical at 64 KB, and L2 cache per core is also identical at 256 KB per core.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The i3-8300 supports ECC memory, while the i5-4670S does not. The i3-8300 also uses DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the i3-8300's average benchmark score and percentile?

A: The i3-8300 averages 1564 across all benchmarks and sits in the 39th percentile of all CPUs tracked. The i5-4670S averages 1526 and sits in the 38th percentile.