Intel Core i5-4690 vs Intel Core i7-3740QM Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unusually clear-cut here: the Intel Core i7-3740QM wins every single head-to-head test against the Intel Core i5-4690, taking all six comparisons with margins ranging from 2.1% to 3%. That said, the practical difference is small — the i7-3740QM's average benchmark score of 1378 barely edges the i5-4690's 1375, and both sit at the 36th percentile among all CPUs. The i7-3740QM is the pick if you need multi-threaded throughput from a mobile platform, since its 8 threads give it a structural advantage in threaded workloads. The i5-4690 makes sense only if you're building a desktop system around Socket 1150 and don't need the extra thread count, though the data shows it loses every benchmark in this comparison. Neither chip is a performance monster by modern standards — both land near the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 1200 and Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U in average score — but the i7-3740QM consistently comes out ahead in this matchup.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins in multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-3740QM wins all three multi-core tests. It scores 489 vs 479 in Cinebench R15 multi-core (2.1% ahead), 2040 vs 1996 in R20 multi-core (2.2% ahead), and 4859 vs 4754 in R23 multi-core (2.2% ahead).

Q: Is the single-core performance noticeably different?

A: The i7-3740QM also wins every single-core test, but the margins are small. It leads by 3% in Cinebench R15 single-core (69 vs 67), 2.5% in R20 single-core (288 vs 281), and 2.2% in R23 single-core (686 vs 671). These are minor differences in real-world terms.

Q: Do both CPUs have the same core and cache configuration?

A: Both have 4 physical cores and 6 MB of shared L3 cache, plus identical L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (256 KB per core) caches. The key difference is that the i7-3740QM has 8 threads while the i5-4690 has only 4.

Q: Which chip has the higher clock speed?

A: The i5-4690 has both a higher base clock (3.40 GHz vs 2.70 GHz) and a higher boost clock (3.80 GHz vs 3.70 GHz). Despite this, it loses every benchmark to the i7-3740QM.

Q: Are these CPUs from the same generation?

A: No. The i7-3740QM is an Ivy Bridge part (22 nm) released in 2012, while the i5-4690 is a Haswell part (also 22 nm) released in 2014. Both use 1,400 million transistors, but the die sizes differ slightly.

Q: What are the thermal and platform differences?

A: The i7-3740QM is a mobile chip with a 45W TDP on Intel BGA 1224, while the i5-4690 is a desktop chip with an 84W TDP on Intel Socket 1150. The i5-4690 supports DDR3 memory and PCIe Gen 3, while the i7-3740QM lists no memory support specification.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 22 nm process node and use 1,400 million transistors, but they represent different microarchitectures. The i7-3740QM is an Ivy Bridge design, while the i5-4690 is Haswell. This architectural gap shows in the die size: the i7-3740QM packs its transistors into 160 mm², while the i5-4690 uses a larger 177 mm² die. Despite the larger die, the i5-4690 doesn't translate that into a benchmark advantage — it loses every test. The i7-3740QM features Hyper-Threading, giving it 8 threads from 4 cores, which is the single most important architectural difference for multi-threaded workloads. The i5-4690 is a pure 4-core, 4-thread design. Integrated graphics also differ: the i7-3740QM carries Intel HD 4000, while the i5-4690 has Intel HD 4600. The i7-3740QM targets the mobile segment with a BGA 1224 socket, while the i5-4690 is a desktop part on Socket 1150. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers. The i5-4690 explicitly lists DDR3 memory support and PCIe Gen 3, while the i7-3740QM's memory support field is empty in the data — though it does list dual-channel memory bus, same as the i5-4690.

Specification Differences

The core count is identical (4 cores each), and the cache hierarchy is exactly the same: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3. The differences start with threads — the i7-3740QM has 8, the i5-4690 has 4. Clock speeds favor the i5-4690, which runs at 3.40 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost, compared to the i7-3740QM's 2.70 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. TDP is a major split: the i7-3740QM draws 45W, the i5-4690 draws 84W. Sockets differ entirely (BGA 1224 vs Socket 1150). The process nodes match at 22 nm, and both use 1,400 million transistors. Die size is 160 mm² for the i7-3740QM and 177 mm² for the i5-4690. The i7-3740QM's integrated graphics are HD 4000; the i5-4690's are HD 4600. The i5-4690 supports DDR3 and PCIe Gen 3; the i7-3740QM lists no memory support or PCIe details. Release dates are about 20 months apart — the i7-3740QM came in September 2012, the i5-4690 in April 2014. Market segments differ: mobile for the i7-3740QM, desktop for the i5-4690. Both lack unlocked multipliers and ECC support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i7-3740QM sweeps the board, but the margins are consistently narrow. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 489 against the i5-4690's 479, a 2.1% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows 69 vs 67, a 3% lead — the largest margin in the entire comparison. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core result is 2040 vs 1996 (2.2% ahead), and single-core is 288 vs 281 (2.5% ahead). Cinebench R23 follows the same pattern: 4859 vs 4754 in multi-core (2.2%) and 686 vs 671 in single-core (2.2%). The i7-3740QM also has Geekbench results that are not matched by the i5-4690 in the head-to-head data: 1993 multi-core and 599 single-core. The i5-4690's nearestRivals list includes the i7-3740QM with a deltaPct of -0.2%, meaning the i7-3740QM's average score is 0.2% higher. In the broader field, the i7-3740QM's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 1200 (1379, delta 0%), the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U (1379, -0.1%), the Opteron 6366 HE (1379, -0.1%), and the i5-1030NG7 (1376, 0.2%). The i5-4690's rivals are nearly identical: the i5-1030NG7 (1376, -0.1%), the i7-3740QM (1378, -0.2%), the Ryzen 3 PRO 1200 (1379, -0.3%), and the Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U (1379, -0.3%). Both chips are effectively in the same performance class, separated by fractions of a percent in average score.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-3740QM wins everywhere the benchmarks measure. It takes all three multi-core tests, which makes sense given its 8-thread capability versus the i5-4690's 4 threads. The 2.1% to 2.2% margins in multi-core workloads suggest that Hyper-Threading provides a real but modest benefit in Cinebench's rendering workloads. It also wins every single-core test, despite the i5-4690 having a higher base clock (3.40 GHz vs 2.70 GHz) and higher boost clock (3.80 GHz vs 3.70 GHz). This is notable — the i5-4690's clock advantage doesn't translate into a win on any test. The i7-3740QM's wins are consistent across three generations of Cinebench (R15, R20, R23), which indicates the performance gap is stable across different workload versions. The i5-4690 has no wins in this comparison — the score is 6 wins for the i7-3740QM, 0 for the i5-4690. However, the practical takeaway is that both CPUs sit within 0.3% of each other in average benchmark score, and both sit at the 36th percentile. The i7-3740QM is the better choice for mobile users who need the thread count for multi-threaded apps and can accept a 45W TDP. The i5-4690 is a desktop part with higher clocks and an 84W TDP, but the data shows it falls slightly behind in every measured workload. If you're choosing based purely on these benchmarks, the i7-3740QM is the one to pick — but the differences are small enough that platform and socket considerations may outweigh the raw performance gap.