CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4590 and Intel Core i5-6500 are two locked quad-core desktop processors from successive Intel generations, yet their benchmark profiles reveal a clear split: the newer i5-6500 dominates synthetic rendering and most single-threaded workloads, while the older i5-4590 retains decisive wins in specific integer and memory-latency-sensitive tasks. The data shows the i5-6500 wins 14 of 19 head-to-head comparisons, but the i5-4590’s five victories are not marginal, they include an 18.5% lead in prime-number finding and an 8.8% lead in integer math. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical (7609 vs 7569, a 0.5% gap favoring the i5-4590), placing both at the 63rd percentile of all CPUs, which underscores that the choice depends entirely on workload priorities rather than overall performance tier.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-6500 is the clear winner for anyone running modern multi-threaded rendering or general productivity suites. It leads in every Cinebench test, R15, R20, and R23, in both multi-core and single-core modes, with deltas ranging from 3.9% to 4.5%. Its PassMark multithread score of 5604 versus 5373 (a 4.1% advantage) and physics score of 442 versus 402 (a 9% lead) reinforce its strength in heavily threaded simulations. The i5-6500 also takes encryption workloads decisively, scoring 1678 in PassMark data encryption versus 1353, a massive 19.4% margin that indicates superior AES or similar cryptographic instruction throughput.

Conversely, the i5-4590 wins where raw integer throughput and specific algorithm efficiency matter more than clock-for-clock generational improvements. Its PassMark integer math score of 15862 beats the i5-6500’s 14585 by 8.8%, and its random string sorting score of 10238 beats 9357 by 9.4%. The most striking outlier is prime-number finding: the i5-4590 scores 32 versus 27, an 18.5% advantage that suggests the Haswell architecture’s integer divider pipeline is significantly faster for this particular workload. The i5-4590 also edges out the i5-6500 in Geekbench multi-core (3156 vs 3118, a 1.2% lead) and in data compression (76800 vs 76510, a 0.4% margin), indicating that its older memory controller or cache hierarchy handles certain streaming operations slightly better.

In practical terms, the i5-6500 is the better all-rounder for video editing, 3D modeling, and cryptography-heavy tasks. The i5-4590 is the specialist for integer-heavy scientific computing, sorting algorithms, and legacy single-threaded code that benefits from its specific pipeline design. Neither processor is a universal winner, and the near-identical average scores confirm that the i5-4590’s wins are not flukes but consistent strengths in its niche.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs represent a full node transition: the i5-4590 uses Intel’s 22 nm Haswell process, while the i5-6500 uses the 14 nm Skylake node. This explains the i5-6500’s lower TDP of 65 watts versus 84 watts, despite delivering higher clock-for-clock performance in most tests. Both have four cores and four threads, with identical cache hierarchies: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3. The die size is also identical at 177 mm², though the i5-4590’s transistor count is listed at 1,400 million while the i5-6500’s is not provided, reflecting the denser 14 nm process.

The sockets differ fundamentally: the i5-4590 uses Intel Socket 1150, while the i5-6500 uses Intel Socket 1151, making them physically incompatible with the same motherboards. Memory support shifts from DDR3 on the i5-4590 to DDR4 on the i5-6500, with the latter’s dual-channel memory bus rated at 34.1 GB/s; no bandwidth figure is given for the i5-4590, but the DDR4 transition is the primary driver of the i5-6500’s higher memory bandwidth. Both support PCIe Gen 3, but the i5-6500 specifies 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-4590’s PCIe configuration is simply listed as Gen 3 without lane details.

Integrated graphics differ as well: the i5-4590 packs Intel HD 4600, while the i5-6500 includes HD Graphics 530. Neither supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers, preventing overclocking. The i5-6500 is marked as end-of-life production status, while the i5-4590’s status is not specified. The i5-6500 also carries a part number (SR2L6) and a later release date (2015-07-01) versus the i5-4590’s 2014-04-30 launch. The i5-4590’s base clock is 3.30 GHz with a 3.70 GHz boost, while the i5-6500 runs at 3.20 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost, so the older chip actually has higher raw clocks, yet loses in most synthetic tests due to the Skylake architecture’s superior instructions-per-clock efficiency.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite is uniformly in favor of the i5-6500, with the largest single margin being a 4.5% win in R15 single-core (67 vs 64). The R20 and R23 multi-core tests show 4% and 3.9% leads respectively (1999 vs 1920, 4760 vs 4573), confirming that the i5-6500’s advantage scales across both rendering generations and thread counts. The i5-6500 also takes PassMark floating-point math with a 2.7% margin (12391 vs 12057) and extended instructions by 6.4% (6549 vs 6133), pointing to better SIMD and AVX execution.

The i5-4590’s wins are concentrated in PassMark integer-focused tests. Its 18.5% lead in prime-number finding (32 vs 27) is the largest delta in the entire comparison, followed by a 9.4% win in random string sorting (10238 vs 9357) and an 8.8% win in integer math (15862 vs 14585). In Geekbench multi-core, the i5-4590 squeaks ahead by 1.2% (3156 vs 3118), and in data compression it wins by a slim 0.4% (76800 vs 76510). These results suggest that while the i5-6500’s newer architecture improves most workloads, the i5-4590’s Haswell design has a specific integer execution advantage that no amount of clock or IPC improvements in Skylake could overcome in these narrow tests.

The most lopsided result is PassMark data encryption, where the i5-6500 wins by 19.4% (1678 vs 1353). This is a hardware-accelerated workload where Skylake’s AES-NI improvements are evident. In contrast, the i5-6500’s single-thread PassMark score is only 0.6% higher (2093 vs 2081), showing that the generational leap is not uniform across all single-threaded tasks. The physics test shows a 9% lead for the i5-6500 (442 vs 402), which is notable for a 3D simulation workload that benefits from the newer architecture’s scheduling and branch prediction.

Specification Differences

The only fields where the two processors differ are as follows: base clock (3.30 GHz vs 3.20 GHz), boost clock (3.70 GHz vs 3.60 GHz), TDP (84 W vs 65 W), socket (1150 vs 1151), architecture (Haswell vs Skylake), process node (22 nm vs 14 nm), transistor count (1,400 million vs not listed), memory support (DDR3 vs DDR4), memory bandwidth (not listed vs 34.1 GB/s), integrated graphics (HD 4600 vs HD Graphics 530), release date (2014-04-30 vs 2015-07-01), production status (not listed vs end-of-life), and part number (not listed vs SR2L6). All other specifications, cores, threads, cache sizes, dual-channel memory bus, PCIe Gen 3, ECC support, market segment, and locked multiplier, are identical between the two.

The die size is the same at 177 mm², which is notable given the node shrink, but the i5-6500’s lower TDP indicates better power efficiency per transistor. The i5-4590’s higher clocks (3.30/3.70 GHz vs 3.20/3.60 GHz) do not translate into performance wins, confirming that Skylake’s IPC advantage outweighs the 100 MHz clock deficit. The socket change to 1151 and DDR4 support are the practical compatibility differentiators, meaning a motherboard upgrade is mandatory to move from the i5-4590 to the i5-6500.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster overall in multi-threaded rendering?

A: The i5-6500 wins all Cinebench multi-core tests: R15 (479 vs 460, 4% lead), R20 (1999 vs 1920, 4% lead), and R23 (4760 vs 4573, 3.9% lead). Its PassMark multithread score of 5604 also beats the i5-4590’s 5373 by 4.1%.

Q: Does the older i5-4590 win any benchmark by a significant margin?

A: Yes, its PassMark prime-number finding score of 32 versus 27 is an 18.5% lead, and it wins integer math by 8.8% (15862 vs 14585) and random string sorting by 9.4% (10238 vs 9357).

Q: Are these CPUs compatible with the same motherboards?

A: No. The i5-4590 uses Intel Socket 1150, while the i5-6500 uses Intel Socket 1151, so they require different motherboards.

Q: What memory types do they support?

A: The i5-4590 supports DDR3, while the i5-6500 supports DDR4 with a rated dual-channel bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The i5-4590’s memory bandwidth is not specified in the data.

Q: Which has better integrated graphics?

A: The i5-6500 features HD Graphics 530, while the i5-4590 has Intel HD 4600. No benchmark scores are provided for either GPU, so the comparison is limited to model names.

Q: How do their overall average scores compare?

A: The i5-4590 has an average benchmark score of 7609, which is 0.5% higher than the i5-6500’s 7569. Both sit at the 63rd percentile of all CPUs.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core i5-6500 as the default choice for most users, given its 14 wins out of 19 head-to-head benchmarks and its dominance across all Cinebench rendering tests, encryption, physics, and floating-point math. The 19.4% lead in data encryption alone makes it the superior option for anyone handling secure communications or file encryption. Its lower 65-watt TDP also makes it easier to cool and more power-efficient, though the i5-4590’s higher base and boost clocks (3.30/3.70 GHz vs 3.20/3.60 GHz) do not compensate for Skylake’s architectural gains.

However, the i5-4590 is not obsolete for every workload. Its 18.5% lead in prime-number finding and 8.8% lead in integer math indicate that legacy integer-heavy applications or scientific computations could run faster on the older chip. The i5-4590 also wins Geekbench multi-core and data compression, albeit by small margins, suggesting that its memory controller or cache behavior is better optimized for certain streaming patterns. For a user with a specific single-threaded integer workload that matches Haswell’s strengths, the i5-4590 could be the better pick despite its age.

The practical decision hinges on platform and workload. The i5-6500 requires a Socket 1151 board and DDR4 memory, while the i5-4590 uses Socket 1150 and DDR3. If building new, the i5-6500’s broader benchmark wins and newer memory standard make it the rational choice. If upgrading an existing Haswell system, the i5-4590’s wins in niche integer tests may justify staying put, but the data shows the i5-6500 is the more capable all-rounder. Given the near-identical average scores (0.5% apart), the verdict is that the i5-6500 is the better processor for general and modern workloads, while the i5-4590 retains a narrow but real specialty in integer-heavy legacy tasks.