Intel Core i5-4460S vs Intel Core i7-3630QM Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between two very different Intel parts. The Intel Core i7-3630QM is a mobile processor from the Ivy Bridge generation, while the Intel Core i5-4460S is a desktop chip based on Haswell. The benchmark results show that the i7-3630QM wins the majority of the head-to-head tests, taking 6 out of 8 comparisons, all of them in Cinebench. Conversely, the i5-4460S dominates in Geekbench, securing both of its wins there with substantial margins.

For users focused on rendering workloads, the i7-3630QM is the stronger choice. It leads in every Cinebench test, from R15 to R23, with margins of roughly 10 percent across the board. This consistency is notable because it shows a sustained advantage in both single-core and multi-core render tests. The i7-3630QM also benefits from having 8 threads versus 4, which aligns with its multi-core victories.

However, for general system responsiveness and single-threaded applications, the i5-4460S is the clear winner. Its Geekbench single-core score of 1026 is 38.3 percent higher than the i7-3630QM's 633, which is a massive gap. The multi-core Geekbench result also favors the i5-4460S, with a 23.2 percent advantage. This suggests that despite having fewer threads, the i5-4460S's architecture and higher base clock of 2.90 GHz provide a better experience for tasks that rely on quick, single-thread execution or that are not heavily parallelized.

The i7-3630QM is the pick for users running render farms or heavy multi-threaded CPU workloads, especially in a mobile context. The i5-4460S is better suited for a desktop user who wants snappier everyday performance and faster single-threaded responses, but it loses in sustained render tasks. The average benchmark scores reflect this close overall competition: the i7-3630QM sits at 1289, while the i5-4460S averages 1330, a difference of only about 3 percent in favor of the desktop part. Both processors are end-of-life products, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from different architectural generations and target different market segments. The i7-3630QM is built on the Ivy Bridge architecture, using a 22 nm process node. It is a mobile processor, designed for laptops, with a thermal design power of 45 watts. The i5-4460S, in contrast, is a Haswell desktop part, also on a 22 nm node, but with a significantly higher TDP of 65 watts. This power difference is a core distinction: the mobile chip manages its performance within a tighter power envelope, while the desktop chip has more headroom.

Both processors feature 4 physical cores and share the same cache hierarchy: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The key difference lies in threading. The i7-3630QM supports Hyper-Threading, giving it 8 threads total, while the i5-4460S has no Hyper-Threading and runs only 4 threads. This explains the i7's advantage in multi-threaded Cinebench tests, as it can process twice as many threads simultaneously.

The transistor counts are similar, with the i7-3630QM at 1,480 million and the i5-4460S at 1,400 million. Die size differs slightly, with the i7-3630QM at 160 mm² and the i5-4460S at 177 mm². The i5-4460S uses a larger die despite fewer transistors, which is a consequence of the Haswell architecture's integrated graphics improvements. Speaking of graphics, the i7-3630QM includes Intel HD 4000, while the i5-4460S features the newer Intel HD 4600. This suggests better integrated graphics performance for the desktop part, though the benchmark data does not directly measure GPU output.

Memory support is identical on paper: both support DDR3, use a dual-channel memory bus, and have a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Neither supports ECC memory. Both also use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The sockets are different, with the i7-3630QM on Intel Socket G2 (988B) and the i5-4460S on Intel Socket 1150, meaning they are not interchangeable. The i7-3630QM has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz, while the i5-4460S starts at 2.90 GHz and also boosts to 3.40 GHz. The higher base clock on the i5-4460S is a major factor in its single-threaded wins.

Where Each One Wins

Looking at the head-to-head data, the i7-3630QM is the definitive winner in Cinebench tests. It takes the R15 multicore test with a score of 439 versus 398, a 10.3 percent lead. It wins R15 singlecore by 8.9 percent, with 61 against 56. The pattern continues in R20, where the i7-3630QM scores 1832 in multicore and 258 in singlecore, compared to the i5-4460S's 1661 and 234, respectively. In R23, the i7-3630QM posts 4364 in multicore and 616 in singlecore, beating the i5-4460S's 3955 and 558. The margins are consistently around 10 percent, which indicates a uniform advantage in render workloads.

The i5-4460S, however, owns the Geekbench tests. Its multicore score of 2750 crushes the i7-3630QM's 2111, a 23.2 percent difference. The singlecore result is even more lopsided: 1026 versus 633, a 38.3 percent advantage. These are not small margins; they suggest that the i5-4460S has a fundamentally stronger single-thread performance profile, likely due to its higher base clock and newer Haswell architecture. For tasks that are not highly parallel, such as many legacy applications, productivity software, or light gaming, the i5-4460S would feel noticeably faster.

The use-case split is therefore clear. The i7-3630QM is the processor for multi-threaded rendering, video encoding, and other workloads that can exploit 8 threads. The i5-4460S is the processor for general desktop use, where single-thread speed dominates and where the higher base clock pays off. In a laptop, the i7-3630QM offers a credible mobile workstation experience. In a desktop, the i5-4460S offers a responsive general-purpose machine, but it will lag behind in heavily threaded tasks. The data shows that neither is a universal winner, and the choice depends entirely on the workload.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-3630QM has 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading, while the Intel Core i5-4460S has only 4 threads.

Q: Which CPU wins in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The i7-3630QM wins with a score of 4364, compared to the i5-4460S's 3955, giving it a 10.3 percent lead.

Q: How large is the single-core Geekbench gap?

A: The i5-4460S scores 1026 in Geekbench single-core, which is 38.3 percent higher than the i7-3630QM's 633.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory type?

A: Yes, both support DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The i7-3630QM has a TDP of 45 watts, while the i5-4460S has a TDP of 65 watts.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock?

A: The i5-4460S has a base clock of 2.90 GHz, which is higher than the i7-3630QM's 2.40 GHz. Both have the same boost clock of 3.40 GHz.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results paint a vivid picture of two different performance profiles. Starting with Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-3630QM scores 439 against the i5-4460S's 398. That is a 10.3 percent win for the mobile chip. The same test in single-core shows a narrower margin: 61 versus 56, an 8.9 percent advantage. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-3630QM extends its lead to 10.3 percent in both multicore and single-core, with scores of 1832 versus 1661 and 258 versus 234, respectively. The R23 results are nearly identical in percentage terms, with the i7-3630QM posting 4364 against 3955 in multicore and 616 against 558 in single-core, a 10.3 percent and 10.4 percent win.

These Cinebench results are remarkably consistent, showing that the i7-3630QM's advantage scales across all versions of the render benchmark. The extra threads clearly matter for the multicore tests, but the single-core wins are also consistent, which is surprising given the i5-4460S's higher base clock. The data suggests that the i7-3630QM's architecture handles these specific workloads more efficiently, even with a lower base frequency.

The Geekbench results tell the opposite story. In the multicore test, the i5-4460S wins decisively with 2750 points, a 23.2 percent improvement over the i7-3630QM's 2111. This is counterintuitive at first glance, since the i7-3630QM has more threads. However, Geekbench's multi-core score can be sensitive to single-thread efficiency and memory latency, and the i5-4460S's Haswell architecture and higher base clock likely contribute to its superior performance here. The single-core Geekbench test is even more stark: the i5-4460S scores 1026, while the i7-3630QM manages only 633, a 38.3 percent gap. This is the largest delta in the entire comparison.

The implications are significant. For a user running Cinebench or similar render workloads, the i7-3630QM is the better choice, delivering around 10 percent more performance consistently. For a user running Geekbench or general productivity tasks that mimic its workload, the i5-4460S is vastly superior, with a single-core advantage that is nearly 40 percent. The average benchmark scores reflect this split, with the i7-3630QM at 1289 and the i5-4460S at 1330, showing that the i5-4460S has a slight overall edge in the aggregate, but the i7-3630QM dominates in the specific render tests. In the end, the i7-3630QM wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head comparisons, but the two it loses are by such large margins that they define the i5-4460S as the better all-around desktop processor for single-threaded tasks.