Intel Core i5-6600 vs Intel Core i7-4790T Comparison

The Intel Core i7-4790T and Intel Core i5-6600 are both end-of-life desktop processors, but they represent two distinct design philosophies from Intel. The i7-4790T is a low-power Haswell part with Hyper-Threading, while the i5-6600 is a Skylake chip with a higher base clock but fewer threads. Benchmark results reveal a fascinating split: the i7-4790T dominates in Cinebench workloads, while the i5-6600 counters in Geekbench. This page dissects the data to determine where each processor excels and which user should prioritize one over the other.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data presents a clear narrative of workload-dependent performance. The Intel Core i7-4790T wins six of the eight benchmark comparisons, but the margin of victory and the nature of the losses tell a nuanced story. The most decisive wins for the i7-4790T come in the Cinebench suite, where its additional threads provide a consistent advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-4790T scores 541 against the i5-6600’s 520, a 4% lead. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern, with scores of 76 and 73 respectively, resulting in a 4.1% delta. This advantage persists across newer Cinebench versions: R20 multi-core shows a 4.2% lead (2258 vs 2167), and R23 multi-core shows a 4.2% lead (5378 vs 5161). The i7-4790T’s single-core leads in R20 and R23 are also consistent, at 4.3% (318 vs 305 and 759 vs 728, respectively).

However, the i5-6600 strikes back decisively in the Geekbench tests, which often scale differently with memory bandwidth and architectural efficiency. In Geekbench multi-core, the i5-6600 scores 3755 against the i7-4790T’s 3520, a significant 6.3% victory. The single-core Geekbench result also favors the i5-6600, with a score of 1239 versus 1193, a 3.7% margin. This is an intriguing reversal: the i7-4790T wins all Cinebench tests, while the i5-6600 wins all Geekbench tests. The data suggests that Cinebench’s rendering engine is heavily thread-dependent, whereas Geekbench’s mixed workload suite may favor the i5-6600’s higher base clock of 3.30 GHz and newer Skylake architecture, despite its lack of Hyper-Threading. The i7-4790T’s wins are all clustered around 4-4.3%, while the i5-6600’s Geekbench victories are larger in magnitude, particularly the 6.3% multi-core swing.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two chips is substantial, spanning a full node transition and a generational shift. The i7-4790T is built on Intel’s 22 nm process with a Haswell architecture, while the i5-6600 uses the 14 nm node and Skylake architecture. This node difference is critical: the 14 nm process allows the i5-6600 to achieve a higher base clock of 3.30 GHz while maintaining a lower 35W TDP, compared to the i7-4790T’s 2.70 GHz base clock and 45W TDP. Both processors share the same boost clock of 3.90 GHz, which partially explains why the i7-4790T can keep up in single-threaded Cinebench tests despite its lower base frequency.

The core configuration is where the i7-4790T gains its edge. Both have 4 physical cores, but the i7-4790T supports 8 threads through Hyper-Threading, whereas the i5-6600 is limited to 4 threads. This explains the consistent multi-core Cinebench wins for the i7-4790T. Cache sizes also differ: the i7-4790T has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-6600 has 6 MB. The L1 and L2 caches are identical at 64 KB and 256 KB per core, respectively. Memory support is another differentiator: the i5-6600 supports both DDR3 and DDR4, while the i7-4790T is limited to DDR3. This translates to a memory bandwidth advantage for the i5-6600, which is rated at 34.1 GB/s versus the i7-4790T’s 25.6 GB/s. The i5-6600 also features a newer integrated GPU, UHD Graphics 530, versus the i7-4790T’s Intel HD 4600. Both chips use the same PCIe Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) configuration, and neither supports ECC memory.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data creates a clear use-case split. The i7-4790T is the winner for heavily threaded workloads that resemble Cinebench’s rendering tasks. Its 8 threads and larger 8 MB L3 cache provide a consistent 4% advantage in multi-core Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests. This makes it the better choice for content creation, video encoding, or any application that can utilize more than 4 threads. The i7-4790T also wins all single-core Cinebench tests, albeit by a slim margin (4.1% in R15, 4.3% in R20 and R23), which is surprising given the i5-6600’s higher base clock. This suggests that the i7-4790T’s Haswell architecture is more efficient per clock in this specific workload, or that the boost clock behavior favors it.

Conversely, the i5-6600 is the winner in Geekbench, which is a more diverse benchmark suite that includes memory-intensive and integer operations. The i5-6600’s 3.7% single-core and 6.3% multi-core Geekbench victories indicate that its Skylake architecture, combined with the higher memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s, provides a tangible advantage in mixed workloads. Users who run general productivity applications, web browsing, or software that is not heavily threaded may see better responsiveness from the i5-6600. The data implies that the i5-6600’s architectural efficiency and memory subsystem can overcome the thread deficit in certain scenarios. For gaming, the higher base clock and newer iGPU could also be beneficial, though the benchmark data does not directly measure gaming performance.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on several key specification fields. The most obvious is thread count: the i7-4790T has 8 threads, while the i5-6600 has 4. Base clock speeds differ significantly, with the i5-6600 running at 3.30 GHz versus the i7-4790T’s 2.70 GHz. The TDP is also different, with the i5-6600 rated at a lower 35W compared to the i7-4790T’s 45W. Socket compatibility is a major divergence: the i7-4790T uses Intel Socket 1150, while the i5-6600 uses Intel Socket 1151. The process node differs (22 nm vs 14 nm), and the i5-6600 has a smaller die size of 99 mm² compared to the i7-4790T’s 177 mm². The i5-6600 lists no transistor count, while the i7-4790T has 1,400 million transistors. L3 cache is 8 MB for the i7-4790T and 6 MB for the i5-6600. Memory support and bandwidth differ as noted: the i5-6600 supports DDR3 and DDR4 with 34.1 GB/s, while the i7-4790T is DDR3-only with 25.6 GB/s. Integrated graphics are different (Intel HD 4600 vs UHD Graphics 530), and the release dates are over a year apart (April 2014 vs June 2015). Finally, the i5-6600 has a launch MSRP of $224, while the i7-4790T has no listed launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher core count?

A: Both processors have 4 physical cores, but the Intel Core i7-4790T has 8 threads, while the Intel Core i5-6600 has 4 threads.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest delta is in Geekbench multi-core, where the Intel Core i5-6600 leads by 6.3% (3755 vs 3520). The largest win for the Intel Core i7-4790T is a 4.3% lead in Cinebench R20 single-core (318 vs 305).

Q: Do both processors use the same memory type?

A: No. The Intel Core i7-4790T supports only DDR3, while the Intel Core i5-6600 supports both DDR3 and DDR4.

Q: Which processor has a lower thermal design power (TDP)?

A: The Intel Core i5-6600 has a lower TDP of 35W, compared to the Intel Core i7-4790T’s 45W.

Q: Are these processors on the same socket?

A: No. The Intel Core i7-4790T uses Intel Socket 1150, while the Intel Core i5-6600 uses Intel Socket 1151.

Q: Which chip wins more benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-4790T wins 6 out of 8 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, all in the Cinebench suite. The Intel Core i5-6600 wins the remaining 2, both in Geekbench.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear decision based on workload emphasis. For users running multi-threaded applications that scale with thread count, the Intel Core i7-4790T is the better choice. It wins every Cinebench test by roughly 4%, which is a meaningful margin in professional rendering workloads. Its 8 threads and 8 MB L3 cache provide a tangible benefit that the i5-6600 cannot match, despite the i5’s newer architecture. The i7-4790T’s consistent single-core Cinebench wins also suggest it is no slouch in less parallel tasks, though the margin is smaller.

However, for users whose primary applications resemble Geekbench’s mixed workload profile, the Intel Core i5-6600 is the more compelling option. Its 3.7% single-core and 6.3% multi-core Geekbench victories are larger than any of the i7-4790T’s wins, indicating a more substantial advantage in general-purpose computing. The i5-6600’s lower 35W TDP, support for DDR4 memory, and higher memory bandwidth (34.1 GB/s) make it a more modern and efficient platform. The i7-4790T’s advantage is narrower (4% or less) and confined to a specific benchmark suite, whereas the i5-6600’s wins are more decisive. Ultimately, the i7-4790T is for the thread-hungry professional, while the i5-6600 is for the generalist seeking a more balanced and efficient processor. The Geekbench results, being the only benchmark where the i5-6600 wins, carry significant weight due to their larger deltas.