Intel Core i5-4460S vs Intel Core i5-4670 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4670 and Intel Core i5-4460S are both four-core Haswell desktop processors on the LGA 1150 socket, but the data reveals they are not close competitors. The i5-4670 wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the database, with a consistent performance advantage that hovers around 17.5% to 17.9%. The i5-4460S, with its lower clock speeds and reduced 65W TDP, trails in every measured workload, making the comparison less about nuanced trade-offs and more about a clear performance hierarchy.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results show a remarkably uniform margin of victory for the Intel Core i5-4670 across all six Cinebench tests. In the Cinebench R15 multicore test, the i5-4670 scores 469 against the i5-4460S’s 398, a 17.8% lead. The single-core R15 test shows a nearly identical gap, with the i5-4670 at 66 and the i5-4460S at 56, representing a 17.9% advantage. This consistency suggests the difference is not workload-specific but rather a fundamental clock-speed and power-delivery gap.

Moving to newer Cinebench versions, the pattern holds. In Cinebench R20 multicore, the i5-4670 hits 1957 while the i5-4460S manages 1661, again a 17.8% delta. The R20 single-core result is 275 versus 234, a 17.5% edge. The most demanding test, Cinebench R23, shows the i5-4670 scoring 4660 in multicore and 657 in single-core, compared to the i5-4460S’s 3955 and 558 respectively. The deltas here are 17.8% and 17.7%. Every single result lands in the same narrow band, indicating that the i5-4670’s advantage scales evenly across both lightly-threaded and fully-threaded workloads.

The i5-4460S does have additional Geekbench scores in its benchmark list (2750 multicore and 1026 single-core), but the i5-4670 has no corresponding Geekbench entries, so no direct head-to-head comparison is possible from the data. The six Cinebench comparisons, however, are unambiguous: the i5-4670 wins all six, with zero wins for the i5-4460S. The average benchmark score tells a similar story, with the i5-4670 at 1347 versus the i5-4460S’s 1330, though this aggregate narrows the gap because it includes tests where the i5-4460S was the only one measured.

The Verdict

The data is decisive: the Intel Core i5-4670 is the superior processor in every benchmarked dimension. Its percentile ranking among all CPUs is 36, compared to 35 for the i5-4460S, and its average benchmark score of 1347 edges out the i5-4460S’s 1330. The i5-4670’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-7400T at 1348 (a -0.1% delta), while the i5-4460S sits near the Intel Core i5-2500K at 1329 (a 0.1% delta). This places the i5-4670 in a slightly higher performance tier, even if both are mid-range by modern standards.

For a user choosing strictly on performance, the i5-4670 is the clear pick. Its consistent ~17.8% lead in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 means faster rendering, better multi-threaded responsiveness, and higher single-thread throughput. The i5-4460S, however, is not without a rationale. Its 65W TDP versus the i5-4670’s 84W suggests lower power draw and potentially easier cooling in a compact or quiet system, but the benchmark data does not quantify thermals or noise. If the priority is raw compute, the i5-4670 wins outright; if the priority is a lower-power envelope, the i5-4460S offers that at the cost of roughly 18% performance.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on the same Haswell architecture, codenamed Haswell, and share the same 22 nm process node from Intel. Each has 4 cores and 4 threads, with no hyper-threading, and both use the Intel Socket 1150. The transistor count is identical at 1,400 million, and the die size is the same at 177 mm². The cache hierarchy is also unchanged: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. Both support DDR3 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and both integrate Intel HD 4600 graphics. Neither has an unlocked multiplier, and ECC memory is not supported on either.

The only architectural distinction in the data is the memory bandwidth figure. The i5-4460S lists a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the i5-4670 has no such entry in its specification pack. This is not a contradiction—it likely reflects a measurement difference in how the data was recorded—but it does not indicate a functional architecture gap. Both are Haswell parts with identical core and cache layouts, so any performance difference comes down to operating frequencies and power characteristics, not design changes.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal two key differences that explain the benchmark gap. First, the base and boost clocks differ substantially. The i5-4670 runs at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boosts to 3.80 GHz, while the i5-4460S runs at 2.90 GHz base and 3.40 GHz boost. That is a 0.50 GHz base-clock deficit and a 0.40 GHz boost-clock deficit for the i5-4460S, which directly accounts for the ~17.8% performance delta. Second, the TDP differs: the i5-4670 has an 84W TDP, while the i5-4460S has a 65W TDP, reflecting the latter’s lower sustained power draw.

Other differences are minor or contextual. The i5-4670 was released on 2013-06-01, while the i5-4460S launched nearly a year later on 2014-05-10. The i5-4460S is marked as "End-of-life" production status, while the i5-4670 has no such designation in the data. The part numbers differ (SR14D for the i5-4670, SR1QQ for the i5-4460S). The i5-4460S has a launch MSRP of $182, which can be stated once as a reference point; the i5-4670 has no launch MSRP field. The PCIe specification also differs slightly: the i5-4670 is listed as "Gen 3" while the i5-4460S is listed as "Gen 3, 16 Lanes(CPU only)," though both are PCIe Gen 3 in practice.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-4670 has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-4460S has a boost clock of 3.40 GHz.

Q: What is the performance difference in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The i5-4670 scores 4660, while the i5-4460S scores 3955, giving the i5-4670 a 17.8% advantage.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores and threads?

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

Q: What is the TDP of each processor?

A: The i5-4670 has a TDP of 84W, while the i5-4460S has a TDP of 65W.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The i5-4670 has an average benchmark score of 1347, compared to the i5-4460S’s 1330.

Q: Are both processors based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use the Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process node with the same cache configuration (64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, 6 MB shared L3).

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-4670 wins in every benchmark category measured, making it the default choice for compute-heavy tasks. Its 17.8% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore (469 vs 398) and R20 multicore (1957 vs 1661) indicates faster rendering and compilation workloads. The single-core wins are equally strong, with R15 single-core at 66 vs 56 (17.9%) and R23 single-core at 657 vs 558 (17.7%), suggesting snappier responsiveness in lightly-threaded applications like older games or office software. If the workload is any form of CPU-bound processing—video encoding, 3D rendering, or scientific computing—the i5-4670 is the clear winner based on the data.

The Intel Core i5-4460S, despite losing all six head-to-head tests, has one distinct advantage: its 65W TDP versus 84W for the i5-4670. This lower power envelope implies lower heat output and potentially quieter operation in a small form-factor or passively-cooled build, though the benchmark data does not include thermal or acoustic measurements. The i5-4460S also carries a launch MSRP of $182, which is a factual data point, but its performance profile is strictly lower. For a user who values energy efficiency over speed, the i5-4460S is the only rational pick; for everyone else, the i5-4670’s consistent 17.5-17.9% performance advantage across all Cinebench versions makes it the superior processor.