Intel Core i5-4670K vs Intel Core i7-5700HQ Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4670K and Intel Core i7-5700HQ represent two distinct Intel philosophies: a desktop overclocker’s chip from the Haswell era and a mobile Broadwell processor with Hyper-Threading. The benchmark data reveals a split decision, with the i7-5700HQ dominating rendering workloads while the i5-4670K takes a clear lead in Geekbench. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical, but the distribution of wins could not be more different.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is the Geekbench reversal. The i5-4670K posts a multicore score of 3700 against the i7-5700HQ’s 3129, a 18.2% advantage. The single-core Geekbench gap is even larger: 1302 versus 1085, a 20% lead for the desktop chip. These are the only two tests where the i5 wins, but they are decisive, suggesting the Haswell design’s higher base and boost clocks (3.40 GHz and 3.80 GHz) translate directly into integer and floating-point workloads that Geekbench emphasizes.

The Cinebench suite tells the opposite story. Across all six Cinebench runs, the i7-5700HQ wins by a consistent margin. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7 scores 519 against the i5’s 478, a 7.9% delta. The single-core R15 test shows a similar 8.2% gap (73 versus 67). Moving to R20, the i7 takes multicore at 2164 versus 1995 (7.8% delta) and single-core at 305 versus 281 (7.9% delta). The newest Cinebench R23 results follow the same pattern: multicore 5154 versus 4751 (7.8% delta) and single-core 727 versus 670 (7.8% delta).

The consistency of the Cinebench margins is notable. Every single Cinebench test, regardless of version or thread count, lands within a 0.4 percentage point band of 7.8-8.2%. This uniformity suggests a fundamental architectural efficiency advantage for the i7-5700HQ’s Broadwell design in rendering tasks, rather than a clock-speed artifact. The i7’s Hyper-Threading likely explains the multicore wins, but its single-core Cinebench victories point to a more efficient execution pipeline per clock.

The average benchmark scores are nearly tied: the i5-4670K averages 1656 points, while the i7-5700HQ sits at 1645. This places both chips at the same percentile ranking of 40 against all CPUs. The i5’s nearest rival is the Intel Xeon E-2124 at 1658 (delta -0.1%), while the i7’s closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-5675R at 1648 (delta -0.2%). In practical terms, these two processors perform at the same aggregate level, but the flavor of that performance differs sharply by workload.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i7-5700HQ scores 5154 versus the Intel Core i5-4670K’s 4751, a 7.8% advantage for the i7.

Q: Does the i5-4670K win any benchmarks?

A: Yes. It wins both Geekbench tests, taking multicore by 18.2% (3700 versus 3129) and single-core by 20% (1302 versus 1085).

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i5-4670K averages 1656 points, and the i7-5700HQ averages 1645 points, a difference of just 0.7% in favor of the i5.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the i7-5700HQ?

A: The launch MSRP is $378.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: No. The i5-4670K has an unlocked multiplier, while the i7-5700HQ does not.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock?

A: The i5-4670K boosts to 3.80 GHz, while the i7-5700HQ boosts to 3.50 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-5700HQ is the clear choice for content creation and rendering. Its six consecutive Cinebench wins, spanning R15, R20, and R23, demonstrate a consistent edge in 3D rendering workloads. The 7.8-8.2% margins are substantial enough to reduce render times meaningfully on long jobs. The i7’s 8 threads versus the i5’s 4 threads provide the parallel throughput that Cinebench rewards, and its single-core Cinebench wins indicate that even lightly threaded rendering tasks favor the Broadwell architecture.

The i5-4670K is the pick for general system responsiveness and Geekbench-style workloads. Its 20% single-core Geekbench lead suggests snappier performance in applications that rely on bursty, single-threaded execution. The 18.2% multicore Geekbench win is more surprising given the i7’s thread advantage, but the i5’s higher clocks (3.40 GHz base, 3.80 GHz boost versus 2.70 GHz base, 3.50 GHz boost) appear to overcome the thread deficit in this specific test. For users running legacy software or applications that favor raw clock speed over thread count, the i5-4670K is the better performer.

A desktop user with an unlocked motherboard could also leverage the i5-4670K’s unlocked multiplier to push clocks further, though the benchmark data here reflects stock settings. The i7-5700HQ, locked and soldered to a BGA 1364 socket, offers no such headroom. The i5’s wins are narrower in count (2 versus 6) but larger in magnitude (18-20% versus 7.8-8.2%), making it the winner in applications where its strengths align.

Specification Differences

The two chips differ fundamentally in their target platforms. The i5-4670K uses Intel Socket 1150, a desktop socket that supports user-replaceable CPUs. The i7-5700HQ uses Intel BGA 1364, a soldered mobile socket. This alone determines upgradeability and cooling options.

Clock speeds favor the i5: 3.40 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost versus 2.70 GHz base and 3.50 GHz boost for the i7. The i7 compensates with Hyper-Threading, offering 8 threads versus the i5’s 4 threads, despite both having 4 physical cores. Thermal design power differs sharply: the i5 is rated at 84W, while the i7 draws 47W, reflecting the i7’s mobile orientation.

The i7-5700HQ integrates a more capable GPU, the Intel HD 5600, versus the i5’s Intel HD 4600. Memory bandwidth is specified for the i7 at 29.9 GB/s, while the i5 has no such figure listed. Both support DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus, and neither supports ECC memory. The i7 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5 also lists PCIe Gen 3 but without a lane count. The i7 is marked as end-of-life production, while the i5’s status is not specified. The i7 has a launch MSRP of $378; the i5 has no launch MSRP listed.

Architecture Differences

The i5-4670K is built on Intel’s Haswell architecture, fabricated on a 22 nm process node. It contains 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The i7-5700HQ uses the Broadwell architecture, specifically the Broadwell-H variant, on a smaller 14 nm process node. Its die size is slightly larger at 182 mm², though its transistor count is not listed. The process shrink from 22 nm to 14 nm is the defining architectural difference, enabling the i7’s lower 47W TDP while maintaining competitive performance.

Both chips share identical cache hierarchies: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The core count is also equal at 4, but the i7 adds Hyper-Threading to reach 8 threads. The i7’s integrated graphics are newer (HD 5600 versus HD 4600), reflecting the Broadwell generation’s improved iGPU.

The i7’s memory bandwidth specification of 29.9 GB/s is notable, as the i5 does not list a bandwidth figure. This suggests a more efficient memory controller in the Broadwell design, which may contribute to its Cinebench wins. The i5’s larger process node and unlocked multiplier position it as a traditional enthusiast desktop part, while the i7’s smaller node and soldered package aim at high-performance laptops. The 14 nm process also explains the i7’s 47W TDP, which is nearly half the i5’s 84W, a critical difference for thermal management in portable systems. Despite these architectural divergences, both parts land at the 40th percentile of all CPUs, reinforcing that architecture matters less than workload fit when total scores are this close.