CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4570 and Intel Core i9-9980XE represent two vastly different eras and market positions within Intel’s desktop lineup. The i5-4570 is a 2013 Haswell part designed for mainstream Socket 1150 systems, while the i9-9980XE is a 2018 Skylake-X Extreme edition flagship for the HEDT platform. Benchmark data shows a decisive performance gap, with the i9-9980XE winning all eight head-to-head comparisons, often by staggering margins. However, the data also reveals a surprising parity in overall benchmark averages, which places both processors in the same 63rd percentile of all CPUs.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i9-9980XE has 18 cores and 36 threads, while the Intel Core i5-4570 has 4 cores and 4 threads. This is a 14-core and 32-thread difference.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i5-4570 has an average benchmark score of 7421, while the i9-9980XE has an average score of 7398. The i5-4570 is 0.3% ahead of the i9-9980XE in this metric, according to the nearestRivals data.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The i9-9980XE supports quad-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s. The i5-4570 supports dual-channel DDR3 memory, with no bandwidth figure listed in the data.

Q: Which processor is more recent and what is its production status?

A: The i9-9980XE was released on 2018-10-18 and is marked as End-of-life. The i5-4570 was released on 2013-06-01, and its production status is not listed.

Q: Do either of these processors support ECC memory?

A: No. Both the Intel Core i5-4570 and the Intel Core i9-9980XE have `eccMemory` set to false in their specifications.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-9980XE has a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, compared to the i5-4570's boost clock of 3.60 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two chips is generational. The i5-4570 is built on the Haswell architecture using a 22 nm process node, fabricated by Intel. It packs 1,400 million transistors into a 177 mm² die. In contrast, the i9-9980XE uses the Skylake-X architecture on a 14 nm process node, also from Intel, with a significantly larger die size of 484 mm². The data does not list a transistor count for the i9-9980XE.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. Both processors share the same 64 KB L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache doubles from 256 KB per core on the i5-4570 to 1 MB per core on the i9-9980XE. The shared L3 cache also scales up massively, from 6 MB on the Haswell part to 24.75 MB on the Skylake-X part. The i9-9980XE is also a fully unlocked part with a free multiplier, whereas the i5-4570 has its multiplier locked.

Connectivity and platform features diverge sharply. The i5-4570 uses the Intel Socket 1150 and supports DDR3 memory in a dual-channel configuration. It also includes integrated graphics in the form of Intel HD 4600. The i9-9980XE, by contrast, requires the Intel Socket 2066, supports DDR4 memory in a quad-channel configuration with a listed bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s, and has no integrated graphics. The i9-9980XE offers PCIe Gen 3 with 44 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-4570 lists PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count. The power envelopes are also distinct, with the i5-4570 rated at 84 W TDP versus 165 W for the i9-9980XE.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split in use cases. For any workload that scales with cores, the i9-9980XE is the unequivocal choice. It wins every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, with its multi-core scores often being several times higher than the i5-4570's. For example, in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9-9980XE scores 26,780 against the i5-4570's 4,442. This is a processor designed for heavy parallel workloads.

However, the i5-4570 holds its own in a specific, narrow context. Despite losing in every single-core test, its average benchmark score of 7421 is slightly higher than the i9-9980XE's 7398. The i5-4570 also sits in the same 63rd percentile. This suggests that for applications that are not highly threaded, or for tasks where the platform costs and power draw are a consideration, the older chip remains surprisingly competitive on a per-dollar or per-watt basis, though the data does not include pricing or efficiency metrics for the i5-4570.

The i9-9980XE is the pick for professionals and enthusiasts running render farms, compiling large codebases, or processing massive datasets. The i5-4570 is better suited for legacy systems, basic desktop tasks, or scenarios where the user is constrained by the older Socket 1150 platform and DDR3 memory. The verdict from the data is simple: raw performance belongs to the i9-9980XE, but the i5-4570's aggregate score shows it is not obsolete in every metric.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every core specification. The i5-4570 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i9-9980XE has 18 cores and 36 threads. Base clocks are close, with the i5-4570 at 3.20 GHz and the i9-9980XE at 3.00 GHz, but the boost clock favors the i9-9980XE at 4.50 GHz versus 3.60 GHz. The TDP is also different: 84 W for the i5-4570 and 165 W for the i9-9980XE.

Memory support is a major divider. The i5-4570 uses DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus, while the i9-9980XE uses DDR4 memory over a quad-channel bus with a specified bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s. The i5-4570 has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, whereas the i9-9980XE has 24.75 MB of shared L3 cache. The per-core L2 cache also differs, with the i5-4570 providing 256 KB per core and the i9-9980XE providing 1 MB per core. The L1 cache is identical at 64 KB per core.

The platforms are entirely different. The i5-4570 fits the Intel Socket 1150, while the i9-9980XE requires the Intel Socket 2066. The i5-4570 includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics, but the i9-9980XE has no integrated graphics. The i9-9980XE has an unlocked multiplier, while the i5-4570 is locked. The i9-9980XE is listed as End-of-life, whereas the i5-4570's status is not specified. The i9-9980XE also has a launch MSRP of $1979, which is a figure the data provides for that part alone.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are lopsided in favor of the i9-9980XE. Out of eight head-to-head tests, the i9-9980XE wins all eight. The most dominant victories come in the Cinebench multi-core tests, where the performance gap is a consistent 83.4% across all three versions (R15, R20, and R23). In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i9-9980XE scores 2,699 against the i5-4570's 447. This pattern repeats in R20 (11,247 vs. 1,865) and R23 (26,780 vs. 4,442).

The single-core Cinebench tests tell a similar story, with the i9-9980XE again leading by 83.4% in each version. The i9-9980XE scores 380 in R15 single-core, 1,587 in R20, and 3,780 in R23. The i5-4570 scores 63, 263, and 627 respectively. This consistent delta of 83.4% across all six Cinebench tests indicates that the architectural efficiency of Skylake-X, combined with its higher boost clock, delivers a uniform advantage in both single-threaded and multi-threaded rendering workloads.

The Geekbench results show a slightly different picture. In Geekbench multi-core, the i9-9980XE wins with a score of 11,270 versus 3,118, a delta of 72.3%. This is a large margin, but slightly smaller than the Cinebench gap. The Geekbench single-core test is the closest contest in the entire comparison. The i9-9980XE scores 1,437, while the i5-4570 scores 1,041. This represents a 27.6% advantage for the i9-9980XE, which is still a clear win but far less overwhelming than the rendering benchmarks.

The data also includes several PassMark tests for the i5-4570, but these have no direct i9-9980XE counterpart in the head-to-head table. The i5-4570 scores 15,415 in integer math, 11,706 in floating point math, and 5,238 in multithreaded tests. It also shows a single-thread score of 2,033. These figures provide context for the i5-4570's capabilities, but the official head-to-head wins remain entirely with the i9-9980XE.