Intel Core i5-4460S vs Intel Core i5-4590T Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4590T and Intel Core i5-4460S are both 22 nm Haswell desktop processors with 4 cores and 4 threads, but they are not equals. The benchmark data is unambiguous: the i5-4460S wins every single head-to-head test, 7 to 0. The i5-4590T, with its lower clock speeds and drastically reduced thermal envelope, is the clear underdog in raw performance, while the i5-4460S emerges as the only sensible choice for anyone prioritizing compute throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i5-4460S dominates across all measured workloads, with the margin varying by test type. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-4460S scores 398 against the i5-4590T’s 347, a 12.8% advantage. That gap holds steady in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the i5-4460S posts 1661 versus 1446, a 12.9% lead. The same 12.9% delta appears in Cinebench R23 multicore, with scores of 3955 and 3445 respectively. This consistency indicates that the performance difference is not workload-specific but rather a fundamental result of clock speed disparity.

Single-core performance tells the same story, though with slightly different margins. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i5-4460S scores 234 versus 204, a 12.8% win. Cinebench R23 single-core shows 558 against 486, another 12.9% gap. Geekbench single-core narrows the divide to 11.2%, with the i5-4460S scoring 1026 and the i5-4590T scoring 911. The smallest delta appears in Geekbench multicore, where the i5-4460S wins by 7.6% (2750 vs 2540). Even in its best relative showing, the i5-4590T still loses by a substantial margin.

The i5-4460S also holds a slight edge in overall standing. Its average benchmark score is 1330, placing it in the 35th percentile of all CPUs. The i5-4590T averages 1340, which lands in the 36th percentile. Despite the i5-4590T having a marginally higher average and percentile, this is misleading; the i5-4460S’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-2500K at 1329 (0.1% delta), while the i5-4590T’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-760 at 1337 (0.2% delta). The performance ceiling for the i5-4460S is simply higher in every direct comparison.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the same fundamental architecture, making the performance gap purely a function of frequency and power. They are built on the Haswell microarchitecture with a 22 nm process node from Intel’s own foundry, and both pack 1,400 million transistors into a 177 mm² die. The cache hierarchy is identical: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. Memory support is also the same, with DDR3 over a dual-channel bus delivering 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both offer PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

The critical divergence lies in clock speeds and power. The i5-4590T has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz, while the i5-4460S starts at 2.90 GHz and boosts to 3.40 GHz. This 0.90 GHz difference at base and 0.40 GHz at boost directly explains the 12.9% performance gap in Cinebench workloads. The thermal design power (TDP) tells the rest of the story: the i5-4590T is rated at 35 W, whereas the i5-4460S draws 65 W. The i5-4590T is engineered for low-power systems, sacrificing significant clock speed to achieve its thermal target.

Both chips integrate the same Intel HD 4600 graphics solution, so there is no difference in iGPU capability. They are both end-of-life products released on 2014-05-10, use the Intel Socket 1150, and have locked multipliers, preventing overclocking. The part numbers differ (SR1S6 for the i5-4590T, SR1QQ for the i5-4460S), but the only functional differences are frequency and TDP.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i5-4460S is faster in every multi-core benchmark. It leads by 12.8% in Cinebench R15 (398 vs 347), 12.9% in Cinebench R20 (1661 vs 1446), and 12.9% in Cinebench R23 (3955 vs 3445). Geekbench multicore shows a smaller 7.6% advantage (2750 vs 2540).

Q: Is the i5-4590T competitive in single-core performance?

A: No. The i5-4460S wins all single-core tests, though the margin varies. Cinebench R20 single-core shows a 12.8% lead (234 vs 204), Cinebench R23 single-core shows 12.9% (558 vs 486), and Geekbench single-core shows 11.2% (1026 vs 911). The i5-4590T never comes within 10% of its rival.

Q: What explains the large performance difference between the two chips?

A: The difference is entirely due to clock speeds. The i5-4460S has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost of 3.40 GHz, versus 2.00 GHz and 3.00 GHz for the i5-4590T. Both use the same 22 nm Haswell architecture, transistor count (1,400 million), die size (177 mm²), and cache layout.

Q: Does the lower TDP of the i5-4590T come with a performance penalty?

A: Yes, and the penalty is severe. The i5-4590T is rated at 35 W TDP while the i5-4460S is rated at 65 W. In exchange for lower power consumption, the i5-4590T loses 12.9% in Cinebench R23 multicore and 12.9% in single-core, making it a poor trade-off for most users.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the i5-4590T wins?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows zero wins for the i5-4590T across all seven tests. The i5-4460S wins 7 out of 7 comparisons, with deltas ranging from -7.6% to -12.9%.

Q: How do these CPUs compare to their peers?

A: The i5-4460S averages 1330, sitting near the Intel Core i5-2500K (1329, 0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i5-760 (1337, -0.5% delta). The i5-4590T averages 1340, close to the Intel Core i5-4670 (1347, -0.5% delta) and Intel Core i5-7400T (1348, -0.6% delta). The average scores are similar, but the i5-4460S has a higher ceiling.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in only a few key specifications; most fields are identical. The base clock is 2000.00 MHz for the i5-4590T and 2900.00 MHz for the i5-4460S. The boost clock is 3000.00 MHz for the i5-4590T and 3400.00 MHz for the i5-4460S. The TDP is 35 W for the i5-4590T and 65 W for the i5-4460S. The launch MSRP is $192 for the i5-4590T and $182 for the i5-4460S. The part numbers are SR1S6 and SR1QQ respectively.

All other specifications are shared: 4 cores, 4 threads, 22 nm process, 1,400 million transistors, 177 mm² die, 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, 6 MB shared L3, DDR3 memory support, dual-channel memory bus, 25.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, no ECC, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics, Desktop market segment, End-of-life production status, release date of 2014-05-10, Intel Socket 1150, Haswell architecture, and locked multipliers.

The Verdict

The data is decisive: the Intel Core i5-4460S is the superior processor, and the Intel Core i5-4590T offers no performance advantage anywhere. The i5-4460S wins all seven head-to-head benchmarks, with a minimum lead of 7.6% in Geekbench multicore and a maximum lead of 12.9% in Cinebench R20/R23 multicore and single-core tests. The higher base and boost clocks of the i5-4460S (2.90 GHz / 3.40 GHz vs 2.00 GHz / 3.00 GHz) produce a consistent, measurable edge across every workload.

The only reason to choose the i5-4590T is its 35 W TDP, which is nearly half the 65 W of the i5-4460S. For power-constrained or thermally limited systems, the i5-4590T may fit where the i5-4460S cannot. However, this comes at the cost of roughly 13% performance in CPU-intensive tasks. For any user who can accommodate the higher TDP, the i5-4460S is the clear pick. The i5-4590T’s higher average benchmark score (1340 vs 1330) and percentile (36th vs 35th) do not translate into any actual test win, making those figures statistical noise rather than evidence of real capability.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-4460S wins in every scenario involving raw compute performance. It is the choice for multi-threaded applications like video encoding, 3D rendering, and compilation, where it delivers 12.9% more throughput in Cinebench R23 multicore (3955 vs 3445). It also wins in single-threaded tasks such as legacy gaming or lightly threaded productivity apps, with an 11.2% lead in Geekbench single-core (1026 vs 911). For users who want the best possible performance from a Socket 1150 Haswell part, the i5-4460S is the only option between these two.

The Intel Core i5-4590T has no benchmark wins to its name. Its sole advantage is operational: a 35 W TDP enables passive cooling or small-form-factor builds where the 65 W i5-4460S would generate too much heat. In a fanless HTPC or a low-power file server, the i5-4590T’s reduced thermal output is a tangible benefit. But the performance cost is steep — it trails by 12.9% in Cinebench R23 multicore and never closes the gap to less than 7.6% in any test. The i5-4590T is a compromise part for niche power-sensitive use cases; the i5-4460S is the correct choice for everything else.