Intel Core i5-4258U vs Intel Pentium G4560T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data splits these two processors into clearly different profiles. The Intel Pentium G4560T claims victory in five of the seven recorded tests, while the Intel Core i5-4258U takes the remaining two. The margins, however, tell a more nuanced story than the raw win count.

Starting with the Cinebench suite, the Pentium G4560T builds a consistent lead across all four multicore tests. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Pentium scores 256 points against the Core i5-4258U's 222, a 13.3% advantage. Moving to Cinebench R20 multicore, the gap narrows slightly to 13% with scores of 1068 and 929. Cinebench R23 multicore shows a similar 13% gap, with the Pentium at 2544 and the Core i5 at 2213. The single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern, with the Pentium G4560T ahead by 12.7% in Cinebench R20 single-core (150 versus 131) and 13.1% in Cinebench R23 single-core (359 versus 312). These are consistent, moderate margins that point to a genuine performance advantage in rendering workloads across every Cinebench iteration recorded.

The Geekbench tests flip the script entirely. The Core i5-4258U dominates the Geekbench multicore test with 1664 points, a 34.5% lead over the Pentium's 1237. The single-core Geekbench result is even more lopsided: 844 versus 594, a 42.1% advantage for the Core i5. This is a substantial reversal. The Core i5 is not merely edging ahead in Geekbench, it is winning by margins two to three times larger than the Pentium's Cinebench leads.

What explains this split? The two benchmark suites stress different aspects of the processor. Cinebench is heavily threaded but also responds to raw clock speed and per-core efficiency. The Pentium's higher base clock of 2.90 GHz, compared to the Core i5's 2.40 GHz base, likely contributes to its Cinebench wins. Geekbench, on the other hand, incorporates a wider mix of workload types, including memory patterns and branch prediction, where the Core i5's architecture appears to have an edge. The data does not isolate the cause, but the pattern is unmistakable: the Pentium wins rendering benchmarks, the Core i5 wins Geekbench.

Overall average benchmark scores are close, with the Core i5 at 902 and the Pentium at 887, a difference of roughly 1.7%. Both processors sit at the 24th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The nearest rivals for the Core i5 include the Intel Core i5-5350U with an average score of 903, the Intel Core i7-940 at 903, the AMD A10-7860K at 904, and the Intel Core i3-4330T at 908. The Pentium's nearest rivals are the AMD PRO A8-8650B at 887, the Intel Xeon X5550 at 888, the Intel Core i7-860 at 886, and the Intel Core i3-6100 at 888. These rival clusters show that both processors sit in a crowded mid-pack area, where a few points separate adjacent entries.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher overall average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-4258U has an average benchmark score of 902, while the Intel Pentium G4560T averages 887. The difference is about 1.7%.

Q: How large is the Pentium G4560T's lead in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Pentium scores 2544 in Cinebench R23 multicore versus the Core i5's 2213, a 13% advantage.

Q: Which processor wins the Geekbench tests and by how much?

A: The Intel Core i5-4258U wins both Geekbench tests. It leads by 34.5% in Geekbench multicore (1664 versus 1237) and by 42.1% in Geekbench single-core (844 versus 594).

Q: Do the two processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for the Core i5-4258U in the database?

A: The nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-5350U with an average score of 903, the Intel Core i7-940 at 903, the AMD A10-7860K at 904, and the Intel Core i3-4330T at 908.

Q: How does the Pentium G4560T compare to the Intel Core i3-6100 in average score?

A: The Pentium G4560T averages 887, while the Intel Core i3-6100 averages 888, a difference of 0.2%, slightly in favor of the Core i3.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a clear split based on workload type. For users running Cinebench-style rendering tasks, the Intel Pentium G4560T is the stronger choice. It wins all four Cinebench tests with margins between 12.7% and 13.3%. The consistency of these margins across R15, R20, and R23 suggests a stable performance advantage that would likely carry over to similar rendering workloads.

For users whose work or applications resemble Geekbench's mixed workload patterns, the Intel Core i5-4258U is the better option. Its 34.5% multicore and 42.1% single-core Geekbench leads are decisive, far larger than the Pentium's Cinebench advantages. The Core i5 also holds the higher average benchmark score overall, 902 versus 887, though the gap is small.

The Core i5-4258U is a mobile processor with a 28 W TDP, while the Pentium G4560T is a desktop part with a 35 W TDP. The Core i5's lower power envelope and mobile form factor make it suitable for compact or battery-powered systems. The Pentium's desktop socket and higher TDP point to traditional desktop builds where power consumption is less constrained. The Pentium also has the advantage of a higher base clock, 2.90 GHz versus 2.40 GHz, and no boost clock is listed for the Pentium, whereas the Core i5 boosts to 2.90 GHz.

Neither processor is a universal winner. The Pentium G4560T takes the rendering crown, the Core i5-4258U takes the broader-system crown. The choice depends entirely on whether the priority is Cinebench-style throughput or Geekbench-style versatility.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Core i5-4258U has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 2.90 GHz, while the Pentium G4560T has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and no listed boost clock. The Core i5 has a TDP of 28 W, the Pentium 35 W.

The sockets are different: the Core i5 uses Intel BGA 1168, the Pentium uses Intel Socket 1151. The Core i5 is a mobile processor, the Pentium is a desktop processor. The Core i5 supports DDR3 memory, the Pentium supports DDR4 memory. The Pentium lists a dual-channel memory bus with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Core i5 has no memory bus or bandwidth data recorded. The Pentium lists PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Core i5 has no PCIe data recorded.

The integrated graphics differ: the Core i5 has Intel HD 5100, the Pentium has Intel HD 610. The Core i5 was released on 2013-06-03, the Pentium on 2017-01-02. The Pentium has an active production status, while the Core i5 has no production status recorded. The part numbers are SR18A for the Core i5 and SR35T for the Pentium.

Architecture Differences

The Core i5-4258U is built on the Haswell architecture, codenamed Haswell, using a 22 nm process node from Intel. The Pentium G4560T is built on the Kaby Lake architecture, codenamed Kaby Lake, using a 14 nm process node from Intel. The process shrink from 22 nm to 14 nm represents a significant manufacturing improvement for the Pentium.

The Core i5 has 1,400 million transistors on a die size of 118 mm². The Pentium has no transistor count or die size recorded in the database. Both processors share the same cache hierarchy: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 3 MB shared L3. Neither supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The Core i5's generation is listed as "Core i5 (Haswell)", while the Pentium's is "Pentium (Kaby Lake)". The Core i5 belongs to the mobile market segment, the Pentium to desktop. These architectural differences, particularly the process node and generation gap, likely contribute to the performance patterns observed in the benchmarks, though the data does not directly attribute specific benchmark outcomes to specific architectural features.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Pentium G4560T wins in Cinebench rendering workloads. It takes Cinebench R15 multicore by 13.3%, Cinebench R20 multicore by 13%, Cinebench R23 multicore by 13%, Cinebench R20 single-core by 12.7%, and Cinebench R23 single-core by 13.1%. Users running video rendering, 3D scene creation, or other tasks that follow Cinebench's computational patterns will find the Pentium consistently faster.

The Intel Core i5-4258U wins in Geekbench workloads. It leads Geekbench multicore by 34.5% and Geekbench single-core by 42.1%. These are large margins, suggesting the Core i5 handles the diverse set of tasks in Geekbench's suite more efficiently. Applications that involve a mix of integer, floating-point, and memory operations, the kinds of workloads Geekbench simulates, favor the Core i5.

The overall average benchmark score slightly favors the Core i5 at 902 versus 887, but the percentile ranking is identical at 24 for both. The Core i5's nearest rival, the Core i5-5350U, sits 0.1% below it, while the Pentium's nearest rival, the AMD PRO A8-8650B, matches it exactly. The Core i3-4330T, a rival to the Core i5, scores 908, while the Intel Core i3-6100, a rival to the Pentium, scores 888.

For a desktop user focused on rendering, the Pentium G4560T is the clear pick. For a user running a broader mix of applications, the Core i5-4258U's Geekbench dominance and slightly higher average score make it the stronger all-rounder, despite its lower clock speed and older architecture. The data does not support a single winner, it supports two winners for two different jobs.