Intel Core i5-4690 vs Intel Core i7-3615QE Comparison

The Intel Core i7-3615QE and Intel Core i5-4690 are two processors separated by two years and aimed at different market segments, yet their benchmark scores are remarkably close. The mobile i7-3615QE, built on Ivy Bridge, and the desktop i5-4690, built on Haswell, both land in the 36th percentile of all CPUs. Their average benchmark scores differ by only six points: 1381 for the i7-3615QE versus 1375 for the i5-4690. This places both near a cluster of AMD Opteron and Ryzen parts, with the i7-3615QE sitting within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U and 0.1% of the AMD Opteron 6238. The i5-4690, meanwhile, is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 1200 and 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-1030NG7.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a clean sweep for the Intel Core i7-3615QE, though the margins are narrow across every test. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-3615QE scores 481 against the i5-4690's 479, a 0.4% advantage. The single-core result in R15 is a dead heat: both chips score 67, with a delta of 0%. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-3615QE extends its lead slightly, posting 2005 versus 1996 in multi-core (0.5% ahead) and 283 versus 281 in single-core (0.7% ahead). The pattern holds in Cinebench R23, where the i7-3615QE scores 4774 to the i5-4690's 4754 in multi-core (0.4% ahead) and 674 to 671 in single-core (0.4% ahead). Out of six benchmarks, the i7-3615QE wins all six, but the largest margin is a mere 0.7%.

The data suggests that the i7-3615QE's hyper-threading provides a small but consistent edge in multi-threaded workloads. With 8 threads versus the i5-4690's 4 threads, the i7-3615QE manages to stay ahead in every multi-core test, despite the i5-4690's higher base and boost clocks. The i5-4690 runs at 3.40 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost, while the i7-3615QE is clocked at 2.30 GHz base and 3.30 GHz boost. The fact that the lower-clocked mobile chip wins all multi-core tests indicates that the extra threads compensate for the clock deficit. The single-core tests are even closer, with the i7-3615QE leading by 0.4% to 0.7%, which is within the margin of run-to-run variance. This suggests that per-core performance is effectively identical, and the i7-3615QE's win in single-core R20 and R23 is likely a statistical artifact rather than a meaningful architectural advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-3615QE has an average benchmark score of 1381, while the Intel Core i5-4690 scores 1375. This places the i7-3615QE 0.4% ahead, a difference of just six points.

Q: How does the thread count differ between the two chips?

A: The Intel Core i7-3615QE features 8 threads across 4 cores, while the Intel Core i5-4690 has 4 threads across 4 cores. The i7-3615QE supports hyper-threading, whereas the i5-4690 does not.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The Intel Core i5-4690 has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Intel Core i7-3615QE runs at 2.30 GHz base and 3.30 GHz boost, making the i5-4690 substantially faster in raw clock terms.

Q: Which chip has a higher TDP?

A: The Intel Core i5-4690 has a TDP of 84 watts, while the Intel Core i7-3615QE has a TDP of 45 watts. The i7-3615QE is the more power-efficient part, which aligns with its mobile market segment.

Q: What are the release dates for these two CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-3615QE was released on 2012-04-28, while the Intel Core i5-4690 was released on 2014-04-30, exactly two years and two days later.

Q: Which processor wins the most head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-3615QE wins all six head-to-head benchmarks. However, its largest margin of victory is only 0.7% in Cinebench R20 single-core.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that the Intel Core i7-3615QE is the faster processor in every tested workload, but the margins are so small that real-world differences would be imperceptible. The i7-3615QE's 8 threads give it a consistent, if narrow, edge in multi-core Cinebench tests, with deltas ranging from 0.4% to 0.5%. Its single-core performance is also slightly ahead, though the 0.7% lead in R20 is within noise. The i5-4690's higher clocks do not translate into a win in any test, meaning the extra threads of the i7-3615QE more than offset the clock deficit.

For a user choosing between these two, the decision should hinge on platform and power considerations rather than performance. The i7-3615QE is a mobile chip on Intel BGA 1023 with a 45-watt TDP, making it suitable for laptops and compact systems. The i5-4690 is a desktop chip on Intel Socket 1150 with an 84-watt TDP, requiring a more substantial cooling solution and a desktop motherboard. Since both processors land in the 36th percentile and have nearly identical average scores, the i7-3615QE is the better choice for power-constrained environments. The i5-4690, despite losing all benchmarks, offers comparable performance in a desktop form factor with the benefit of DDR3 memory support and PCIe Gen 3. The data does not support a clear performance winner beyond the i7-3615QE's marginal lead, so the market segment and socket compatibility should drive the purchase decision.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Intel Core i7-3615QE has 8 threads, while the Intel Core i5-4690 has 4 threads. The base clock differs significantly: 2.30 GHz for the i7-3615QE versus 3.40 GHz for the i5-4690, with boost clocks of 3.30 GHz and 3.80 GHz respectively. The TDP is another major differentiator: the i7-3615QE consumes 45 watts, while the i5-4690 consumes 84 watts. The sockets are incompatible: the i7-3615QE uses Intel BGA 1023, and the i5-4690 uses Intel Socket 1150. The market segments also differ, with the i7-3615QE classified as Mobile and the i5-4690 as Desktop. The i5-4690 supports DDR3 memory and PCIe Gen 3, while the i7-3615QE has no listed memory support or PCIe specification. The integrated graphics differ as well: the i7-3615QE has Intel HD 4000, while the i5-4690 has Intel HD 4600. The die size also varies, with the i7-3615QE measuring 160 mm² and the i5-4690 measuring 177 mm².

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 22 nm process node and use 1,400 million transistors from Intel's foundry. They share the same cache hierarchy: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. Neither supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers. The fundamental architectural difference lies in the microarchitecture and generation. The i7-3615QE uses the Ivy Bridge architecture, belonging to the Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) generation, while the i5-4690 uses the Haswell architecture, belonging to the Core i5 (Haswell) generation. Ivy Bridge is the earlier design, released in 2012, while Haswell followed in 2014. The i7-3615QE's key architectural feature is hyper-threading, which doubles its thread count to 8. The i5-4690 lacks this feature, limiting it to 4 threads. The integrated graphics also differ: the i7-3615QE includes Intel HD 4000, while the i5-4690 includes Intel HD 4600, indicating a newer GPU block in the Haswell part. Despite these architectural differences, the benchmark results show nearly identical performance, suggesting that the Haswell generation's IPC improvements are offset by the i5-4690's lack of hyper-threading and the i7-3615QE's lower clocks. The 22 nm process node and identical transistor count indicate a similar transistor budget, but the die size difference (160 mm² versus 177 mm²) reflects the additional integrated graphics and desktop-oriented features in the Haswell design.