Intel Core i5-4300M vs Intel Core i7-880 Comparison

The Intel Core i7-880 and Intel Core i5-4300M represent two very different design philosophies from Intel, separated by three years of architectural evolution and aimed at entirely different market segments. The i7-880 is a desktop Lynnfield part from the Nehalem generation, while the i5-4300M is a mobile Haswell processor. Despite their differences in core count, process node, and intended use case, both land at the 27th percentile of all CPUs in the benchmark database, with average scores of 1006 and 1004 respectively. The data reveals a consistent, if narrow, performance advantage for the older desktop part across every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, yet the story is more nuanced than simple performance supremacy.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are unambiguous in their verdict: the Intel Core i7-880 wins all five head-to-head tests, with a delta of 16.1% or 16.2% in every case. This is a clean sweep that leaves no room for interpretation regarding raw compute performance. The i7-880’s advantage is consistent across both multi-core and single-core workloads, ranging from the older Cinebench R15 to the more recent R23 versions. In multi-core tests, the i7-880 scores 294 versus 253 in R15, 1227 versus 1056 in R20, and 2923 versus 2515 in R23. Single-core results follow the same pattern, with the i7-880 leading 173 to 149 in R20 and 412 to 355 in R23.

However, the i5-4300M does have a clear domain where it wins: power efficiency and platform suitability for mobile computing. The i7-880 carries a 95W TDP, while the i5-4300M draws only 37W. This is a massive difference in thermal design power, meaning the i5-4300M is designed for laptops where cooling is constrained and battery life matters. The i7-880 requires a desktop motherboard with an Intel Socket 1156, while the i5-4300M uses Intel Socket G3, a mobile socket. The i5-4300M also integrates Intel HD 5000 graphics, whereas the i7-880 has no integrated graphics at all, necessitating a discrete GPU in any desktop build. The data shows the i5-4300M offers a substantial portion of the i7-880’s performance—roughly 86% of its multi-core score and 86% of its single-core score—while using only 39% of the power budget.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural eras. The i7-880 is built on the Nehalem architecture, specifically the Lynnfield codename, fabricated on Intel’s 45 nm process node. It packs 774 million transistors onto a 296 mm² die. The i5-4300M is a Haswell architecture part, using the Haswell codename, fabricated on a much more advanced 22 nm process. It contains 1,400 million transistors on a much smaller 118 mm² die, showing how Intel’s process shrinks allowed for denser integration.

Core configurations differ significantly. The i7-880 offers 4 cores and 8 threads, taking advantage of Hyper-Threading technology. The i5-4300M is a dual-core processor with 4 threads, also supporting Hyper-Threading but with half the physical cores. This core count disparity is the primary driver behind the i7-880’s multi-core advantage, though its single-core lead shows that raw clock speed also plays a role. The i7-880 has a base clock of 3.07 GHz and a boost clock of 3.73 GHz, while the i5-4300M runs at 2.60 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost.

Cache hierarchies also differ. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, but the shared L3 cache is where they diverge dramatically. The i7-880 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-4300M has only 3 MB. This larger cache pool gives the i7-880 a potential advantage in workloads that benefit from larger working sets residing closer to the cores. Memory support is DDR3 dual-channel for the i7-880, while the memory bus information for the i5-4300M is not specified in the data. Neither processor supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking aspect of the head-to-head data is the uniformity of the performance gap. Across all five Cinebench tests, the i7-880 wins by either 16.1% or 16.2%. This consistency suggests a fundamental architectural or configuration advantage rather than workload-specific strengths. Starting with Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-880 scores 294 against the i5-4300M’s 253, a 16.2% lead. The same delta appears in R20 multi-core, where the i7-880 hits 1227 versus 1056.

Single-core results are nearly identical in percentage terms. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7-880 scores 173, beating the i5-4300M’s 149 by 16.1%. The R23 single-core test shows the i7-880 at 412 versus 355, again a 16.1% advantage. The multi-core R23 test completes the sweep with the i7-880 at 2923 and the i5-4300M at 2515, a 16.2% lead.

It is worth remembering the i5-4300M has two additional benchmark scores that the i7-880 lacks: Geekbench multi-core at 1817 and single-core at 882. These results are not part of the head-to-head comparison, but they provide context for the i5-4300M’s absolute performance level. The fact that the i7-880 does not have these Geekbench scores in its data set means we cannot directly compare them, but the Cinebench results alone paint a clear picture of relative performance.

The Verdict

Based strictly on benchmark data, the Intel Core i7-880 is the superior processor for raw compute performance. It wins every benchmark in the comparison by a margin of roughly 16%, which is a meaningful difference for CPU-bound workloads like video rendering, 3D modeling, and software compilation. Its 8 threads versus the i5-4300M’s 4 threads give it a structural advantage in multi-threaded tasks, while its higher base and boost clocks ensure it also leads in single-threaded performance.

However, the i5-4300M is not without its own merits. Its 37W TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where the i7-880’s 95W desktop power draw would be impossible to cool. The i5-4300M also includes integrated Intel HD 5000 graphics, eliminating the need for a separate GPU in basic systems. For a user building a desktop workstation with a dedicated graphics card, the i7-880 is the clear choice based on performance data. For a user seeking a mobile processor for a laptop with modest performance needs and long battery life, the i5-4300M is the only viable option between these two, given the i7-880’s desktop-only socket and lack of integrated graphics.

The percentile rankings show both processors at the 27th percentile of all CPUs, indicating they are both lower-mid-range performers in the current landscape. The average benchmark scores of 1006 and 1004 are nearly identical, but the distribution of those scores differs. The i7-880 achieves its average through consistently higher Cinebench scores, while the i5-4300M’s average is pulled down by its lower Cinebench scores but includes Geekbench results that may use different scoring scales. The nearest rivals for both processors include the Intel Core i5-10210Y, AMD FX-9830P, and Intel Core i7-2630QM, with delta percentages of 0% or 0.1% in either direction, suggesting these four processors form a tight performance cluster.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-880 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i5-4300M has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the performance difference in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?

A: The Intel Core i7-880 scores 2923, which is 16.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-4300M’s score of 2515.

Q: Do either of these processors support ECC memory?

A: No, both the Intel Core i7-880 and the Intel Core i5-4300M have ECC memory support set to false.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-4300M includes Intel HD 5000 integrated graphics, while the Intel Core i7-880 has no integrated graphics listed.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i7-880 has a TDP of 95W, while the Intel Core i5-4300M has a TDP of 37W.

Q: Are these processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i7-880 and the Intel Core i5-4300M are in the 27th percentile of all CPUs, with average benchmark scores of 1006 and 1004 respectively.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The core count and thread count are the most significant: the i7-880 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-4300M has 2 cores and 4 threads. Clock speeds also differ, with the i7-880 running at 3.07 GHz base and 3.73 GHz boost, compared to the i5-4300M’s 2.60 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost. The i7-880 has a TDP of 95W versus the i5-4300M’s 37W.

The socket types are incompatible: the i7-880 uses Intel Socket 1156 for desktop systems, while the i5-4300M uses Intel Socket G3 for mobile systems. The architectures differ entirely, with the i7-880 based on Nehalem (Lynnfield codename) and the i5-4300M based on Haswell (Haswell codename). The process node is 45 nm for the i7-880 and 22 nm for the i5-4300M. Transistor counts are 774 million versus 1,400 million, and die sizes are 296 mm² versus 118 mm².

Cache configurations differ, particularly in L3 cache: the i7-880 has 8 MB shared, while the i5-4300M has 3 MB shared. L1 and L2 caches are the same at 64 KB per core and 256 KB per core respectively. The i7-880 supports PCIe Gen 2 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while no PCIe information is listed for the i5-4300M. The i5-4300M includes integrated Intel HD 5000 graphics, while the i7-880 has none. Market segments differ, with the i7-880 being a Desktop processor and the i5-4300M being a Mobile processor. Release dates are separated by roughly three years, with the i7-880 released in 2010 and the i5-4300M in 2013. The i7-880 is marked as end-of-life, while production status for the i5-4300M is not specified.