Intel Core i5-3570K vs Intel Core i5-4670T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a sharply split picture between these two quad-core desktop processors. Across the Cinebench suite, the Intel Core i5-3570K is consistently ahead, while the Intel Core i5-4670T dominates Geekbench. The recorded wins tally shows 6 victories for the i5-3570K and 2 for the i5-4670T, but the margins tell a more nuanced story than the raw count.

Starting with multi-core rendering, the i5-3570K leads in Cinebench R15 with a score of 425 against 384 for the i5-4670T, a 10.7% advantage. That pattern holds in Cinebench R20, where the i5-3570K scores 1772 versus 1604, a 10.5% gap. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-3570K posts 4221 compared to 3820 for the i5-4670T, again a 10.5% difference. The consistency of these margins across three generations of the Cinebench workload suggests a stable performance advantage in heavily threaded rendering tasks.

Single-core Cinebench results follow the same direction. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i5-3570K records 60 points against 54 for the i5-4670T, an 11.1% lead. Cinebench R20 single-core shows 250 versus 226, a 10.6% edge. Cinebench R23 single-core delivers 596 versus 539, a 10.6% margin. The i5-3570K wins every Cinebench test by roughly 10 to 11 percent, which points to a consistent architectural or clock-driven advantage in this workload family.

Geekbench flips the script entirely. In Geekbench multi-core, the i5-4670T scores 2563 against 2245 for the i5-3570K, meaning the i5-4670T is 12.4% ahead. The single-core result is even more lopsided: 977 for the i5-4670T versus 776 for the i5-3570K, a 20.6% advantage. These are substantial deltas, far larger than the Cinebench gaps in the opposite direction.

The overall average benchmark scores reflect how close the two parts are despite their individual test swings. The i5-3570K averages 1293 across all recorded benchmarks, while the i5-4670T averages 1271. That is a difference of roughly 22 points, under 2%. Both processors sit at the 35th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning the two land in essentially the same performance tier overall.

Looking at nearest rivals for context, the i5-3570K sits within 0.5% of the Intel Core i5-4670R, which scores 1286, and within 0.3% of the Intel Core i7-3630QM at 1289. The i5-4670T's closest neighbor is the Intel Core i5-4430S at 1274, a 0.2% difference, and the Intel Atom x7425E at 1273, also 0.2% away. Both chips are tightly clustered with their peers, reinforcing that neither is an outlier in aggregate performance.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark tests head-to-head?

A: The Intel Core i5-3570K wins 6 of the 8 recorded head-to-head benchmarks. It takes every Cinebench test, while the Intel Core i5-4670T wins both Geekbench tests.

Q: How large is the i5-3570K's lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The i5-3570K scores 4221 in Cinebench R23 multi-core against 3820 for the i5-4670T, a 10.5% advantage.

Q: What is the biggest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest delta is in Geekbench single-core, where the Intel Core i5-4670T leads by 20.6%, scoring 977 versus 776 for the i5-3570K.

Q: Do the two processors have the same overall performance percentile?

A: Yes, both are recorded at the 35th percentile among all CPUs in the database. Their average benchmark scores are also close: 1293 for the i5-3570K and 1271 for the i5-4670T.

Q: Which chip has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-3570K has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-4670T boosts to 3.30 GHz. Base clocks are 3.40 GHz and 2.30 GHz respectively.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: No. The i5-3570K has an unlocked multiplier, while the i5-4670T does not.

Where Each One Wins

The workload split is clean and easy to summarize. The Intel Core i5-3570K is the pick for Cinebench-style rendering tasks. Its multi-core wins in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 all land near 10.5%, and its single-core Cinebench results are similarly consistent. Any application that behaves like Cinebench, meaning sustained multi-threaded compute with moderate instruction-level parallelism, should favor the i5-3570K. The 3.40 GHz base clock and 3.80 GHz boost clock give it a raw frequency advantage that shows up across the board in these tests.

The Intel Core i5-4670T is the better choice for Geekbench-style workloads. Its 20.6% single-core and 12.4% multi-core wins in Geekbench are the largest margins recorded in this comparison. The i5-4670T also carries a lower 45 W TDP, which makes it the more power-conscious option for systems where thermals and energy draw matter more than peak rendering throughput. Its integrated graphics, the Intel HD 4600, is a newer generation than the HD 4000 in the i5-3570K, which could matter for light graphics work or media playback without a discrete card.

For users who prioritize the highest average benchmark score, the i5-3570K edges ahead at 1293 versus 1271. But the i5-4670T's Geekbench dominance means the choice depends heavily on the software being run. A system built around Geekbench-sensitive applications would see noticeably better results with the i5-4670T, while Cinebench-heavy workflows would favor the i5-3570K.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several fundamental specifications beyond their benchmark behavior. The i5-3570K uses the Intel Socket 1155, while the i5-4670T uses Intel Socket 1150. That means they are not drop-in compatible with each other's motherboards. The i5-3570K has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The i5-4670T runs at 2.30 GHz base and 3.30 GHz boost, making the i5-3570K significantly faster on paper in both metrics.

Thermal design power is another major divider. The i5-3570K is rated at 77 W, while the i5-4670T is rated at 45 W. That 32 W difference makes the i5-4670T a much cooler-running part. The i5-3570K has an unlocked multiplier, whereas the i5-4670T is locked. The integrated graphics differ as well: the i5-3570K ships with Intel HD 4000, while the i5-4670T has Intel HD 4600.

Memory support is identical in type, both use DDR3 with dual-channel buses. The i5-3570K lists a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the i5-4670T entry does not record a bandwidth figure. Neither supports ECC memory. PCIe capability also differs: the i5-3570K is listed as Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-4670T is listed simply as Gen 3 without a lane count. The i5-3570K has a recorded launch MSRP of $212; no launch MSRP is recorded for the i5-4670T.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 22 nm process node at the same foundry, and both use 1,400 million transistors. The die sizes differ slightly: the i5-3570K measures 160 mm², while the i5-4670T measures 177 mm². The architectural generation is where the real divide appears. The i5-3570K is based on Ivy Bridge, while the i5-4670T is based on Haswell. This is a full generation apart in Intel's desktop lineup, which explains why the i5-4670T wins in Geekbench despite its much lower clock speeds.

Cache configurations are identical in structure. Both have 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. Neither has any 3D V-Cache. The core and thread counts match as well: 4 cores and 4 threads on each processor. The i5-4670T's release date is about a year later, and the i5-3570K is marked as end-of-life while the i5-4670T has no production status recorded.

The architectural differences show up most clearly in the benchmark results. Haswell introduced improvements that the Cinebench tests do not fully expose, but Geekbench clearly rewards. The i5-4670T's 20.6% single-core Geekbench win over a chip with a 1.1 GHz higher boost clock demonstrates that the newer architecture brings meaningful per-clock efficiency gains. The i5-3570K's Cinebench wins, despite being the older architecture, show that raw clock speed still matters in certain workloads. The two processors are a study in how architecture generation and clock speed trade off against each other, with neither dominating across every test family.