Intel Core i5-4570S vs Intel Core i7-3720QM Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4570S and Intel Core i7-3720QM are two very different takes on a 4-core processor from the same era, and the benchmark data reflects that split personality. One is a locked desktop chip with a faster base clock, the other a mobile chip with Hyper-Threading and a much lower TDP. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical — 1426 for the i5-4570S versus 1421 for the i7-3720QM, a razor-thin 0.4% gap — but that overall parity masks dramatic swings in individual tests. The data shows a clear pattern: the i7-3720QM dominates in Cinebench, while the i5-4570S crushes it in Geekbench. These aren't just minor differences; they represent fundamentally different performance profiles that matter depending on the workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in Geekbench single-core, where the i5-4570S scores 1083 against the i7-3720QM's 726. That's a 49.2% advantage for the desktop chip, a massive lead that cannot be explained by clock speed alone. The i5-4570S boosts to 3.60 GHz, the same as the i7-3720QM, yet it delivers nearly half again as much single-threaded performance. The Geekbench multicore test tells a similar story, with the i5-4570S scoring 2945 versus 2457, a 19.9% win. This suggests the Haswell architecture in the i5-4570S is substantially more efficient per clock than the Ivy Bridge design in the i7-3720QM, at least for the kinds of workloads Geekbench measures.

Flip to Cinebench, and the tables turn completely. The i7-3720QM wins all six Cinebench tests, with margins that are remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 475 versus 428, a 9.9% lead. The single-core R15 test shows 66 versus 60, a 9.1% edge. Cinebench R20 multicore repeats the pattern: 1981 versus 1787, a 9.8% win, and single-core R20 gives 279 versus 252, a 9.7% margin. The R23 results are nearly identical in percentage terms: 4718 versus 4256 in multicore (9.8% ahead) and 666 versus 600 in single-core (9.9% ahead). The consistency is striking — the i7-3720QM wins every Cinebench test by roughly 9-10%, regardless of version or thread count. That's not noise; that's a structural advantage in how the two chips handle these rendering workloads.

The head-to-head tally is 6 wins for the i7-3720QM and 2 for the i5-4570S. But raw win counts are misleading here. The i5-4570S's Geekbench wins are far larger in magnitude — 49.2% and 19.9% — than any of the i7-3720QM's Cinebench victories, which cap out at 9.9%. If you weight by the size of the margin, the Geekbench results are decisive. The i7-3720QM's Cinebench wins are consistent and broad, but they never exceed 10%, while the i5-4570S dominates one benchmark by nearly half. The overall average scores end up nearly tied because the two chips are each strong in exactly opposite areas.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-3720QM is the clear winner for Cinebench-style rendering workloads. Every Cinebench test — R15, R20, and R23, both single-core and multicore — goes to the mobile chip by roughly 9-10%. The consistency across all six tests suggests this isn't a fluke or a driver quirk; the i7-3720QM genuinely handles these ray-tracing and 3D rendering tasks better. Its 8 threads versus the i5-4570S's 4 threads likely play a role in the multicore tests, but the single-core Cinebench wins show it's not purely about thread count. The i7-3720QM is the pick if your work involves Cinebench-style rendering, 3D modeling, or similar threaded creative workloads.

The i5-4570S is the dominant chip for Geekbench workloads. Its 49.2% single-core lead and 19.9% multicore lead are enormous margins that dwarf anything the i7-3720QM achieves in Cinebench. Geekbench tests tend to reflect real-world application performance in areas like image processing, file compression, and general productivity. The i5-4570S's Haswell architecture appears to execute these tasks far more efficiently than the older Ivy Bridge design, even at the same 3.60 GHz boost clock. For everyday desktop use, web browsing, office applications, and any software that's sensitive to single-threaded performance, the i5-4570S is the better choice by a wide margin.

The market segments reinforce this split. The i5-4570S is a desktop chip on Intel Socket 1150, while the i7-3720QM is a mobile chip on Intel BGA 1224. The i7-3720QM's 45 W TDP is designed for laptops, while the i5-4570S's 65 W TDP is for desktop systems with more cooling headroom. If you're building or upgrading a desktop, the i5-4570S's Geekbench wins are more relevant. If you're looking at a laptop or mobile workstation, the i7-3720QM's Cinebench performance and lower power draw make it the sensible option.

Architecture Differences

Both chips are built on Intel's 22 nm process node and pack 1,400 million transistors, but that's where the similarities end. The i5-4570S uses the Haswell architecture, which is the newer design, while the i7-3720QM uses Ivy Bridge, the previous generation. The die sizes reflect this: the i5-4570S measures 177 mm², while the i7-3720QM is smaller at 160 mm². Despite the larger die, the i5-4570S has fewer threads — 4 versus 8 — because it lacks Hyper-Threading. Both have 4 physical cores, 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache, so the cache hierarchy is identical.

The clock speeds differ in an interesting way. The i5-4570S has a higher base clock at 2.90 GHz versus 2.60 GHz, but both boost to the same 3.60 GHz. The i7-3720QM's lower base clock helps it stay within its 45 W TDP, while the i5-4570S uses more power at 65 W. The i5-4570S supports DDR3 memory on a dual-channel bus, while the i7-3720QM's memory support is not specified in the data, though it also uses a dual-channel bus. The i5-4570S has PCIe Gen 3 support; the i7-3720QM's PCIe generation is not listed.

Integrated graphics differ as well. The i5-4570S has Intel HD 4600, while the i7-3720QM has the older Intel HD 4000. Both are locked processors with no unlocked multiplier, and neither supports ECC memory. The i5-4570S was released in June 2013, while the i7-3720QM came earlier in April 2012. The part numbers are SR14J for the i5-4570S and SR0MM for the i7-3720QM. Neither chip has a listed launch MSRP in the data.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture. If you're building a desktop system and your priority is general-purpose computing — web browsing, office work, photo editing, anything that Geekbench measures — the Intel Core i5-4570S is the superior chip. Its 49.2% single-core advantage over the i7-3720QM is enormous, and even its multicore Geekbench score is 19.9% higher. The desktop socket and 65 W TDP also make it easier to cool and integrate into a standard build.

If you're working with Cinebench-style rendering workloads or you need a mobile processor, the Intel Core i7-3720QM is the better choice. It wins every Cinebench test by roughly 10%, which is meaningful for 3D artists and video editors who rely on those rendering pipelines. Its 45 W TDP is also more suitable for laptops, and its 8 threads give it an edge in heavily threaded scenarios. The i7-3720QM's average benchmark score of 1421 is nearly identical to the i5-4570S's 1426, so neither chip is objectively "faster" overall — they just excel at different things.

Both chips sit at the 37th percentile among all CPUs, meaning they're mid-pack performers by modern standards. The i7-3720QM's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Bronze 3106 (0.1% slower), AMD Opteron 4274 HE (0.1% faster), Intel Core i7-2700K (0.2% slower), and Intel Core i7-3820 (0.2% slower). The i5-4570S's rivals include the same i7-3820 (0.2% slower), Xeon Bronze 3106 (0.3% slower), i7-3720QM (0.4% slower), and Opteron 4274 HE (0.5% slower). These are all tightly clustered, so neither chip stands out from its immediate competition in aggregate performance.

The practical advice: choose the i5-4570S for a desktop where single-threaded speed and Geekbench-style tasks matter most. Choose the i7-3720QM for rendering workloads or any mobile application where its Cinebench strength and lower power draw give it an edge.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-4570S has an average benchmark score of 1426, while the Intel Core i7-3720QM scores 1421, a difference of 0.4% in favor of the i5-4570S.

Q: Why does the i7-3720QM win all Cinebench tests despite having a lower base clock?

A: The i7-3720QM has 8 threads versus 4 on the i5-4570S, and it also edges out the i5-4570S in single-core Cinebench tests by about 9-10%. Its winning margins range from 9.1% to 9.9% across all six Cinebench tests.

Q: How large is the Geekbench single-core gap between these two processors?

A: The i5-4570S scores 1083 in Geekbench single-core, while the i7-3720QM scores 726. That gives the i5-4570S a 49.2% advantage, the largest margin in any test.

Q: Do these processors have the same cache configuration?

A: Yes, both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. They also both have 4 physical cores and are built on Intel's 22 nm process with 1,400 million transistors.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The i5-4570S has a TDP of 65 W, while the i7-3720QM has a TDP of 45 W. The i7-3720QM's lower power draw is consistent with its mobile market segment.

Q: Which CPU supports PCIe Gen 3?

A: The Intel Core i5-4570S supports PCIe Gen 3. The PCIe generation for the Intel Core i7-3720QM is not listed in the data.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-4570S | Intel Core i7-3720QM |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 2.90 GHz | 2.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.60 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 45 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | Intel BGA 1224 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Ivy Bridge |

| Codename | Haswell | Ivy Bridge |

| Generation | Core i5 (Haswell) | Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) |

| Die Size | 177 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Memory Support | DDR3 | Not specified |

| PCIe | Gen 3 | Not specified |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4600 | Intel HD 4000 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2013-06-01 | 2012-04-28 |

| Part Number | SR14J | SR0MM |

| Benchmark Wins | 2 | 6 |