Intel Core i5-7500T vs Intel Core i7-4712HQ Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a genuinely split picture. Across the eight recorded head-to-head tests, the Intel Core i7-4712HQ takes six wins, while the Intel Core i5-7500T counterattacks with two decisive victories. The margin of those two wins is what makes this comparison interesting.

Starting with the Cinebench suite, the i7-4712HQ establishes a consistent, if narrow, lead. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-4712HQ scores 454 against the i5-7500T’s 448, a delta of 1.3 percent. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern: 64 versus 63, a 1.6 percent edge for the i7. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-4712HQ again prevails in multi-core with 1895 against 1870, and in single-core with 267 against 263. The gap remains tight, hovering around 1.3 to 1.5 percent. Cinebench R23 tells the same story: the i7-4712HQ posts 4512 multi-core and 637 single-core, while the i5-7500T records 4454 and 628 respectively, deltas of 1.3 and 1.4 percent. These are not blowout margins, but they are consistent across every rendering workload in the database.

The Geekbench results flip the script entirely. In Geekbench multi-core, the i5-7500T scores 3062 against the i7-4712HQ’s 2734, a commanding 12 percent advantage. The single-core test is even more lopsided: 1078 versus 923, a 16.8 percent lead for the i5-7500T. This is a substantial reversal. Where the i7-4712HQ wins by single-digit percentage points in Cinebench, the i5-7500T wins by double-digit margins in Geekbench. The data indicates that the i5-7500T’s newer architecture delivers a significant per-clock performance advantage in these specific workloads, enough to overcome the i7’s thread count advantage in multi-threaded Geekbench.

Looking at the broader database context, the two processors sit very close in overall standing. The i5-7500T has an average benchmark score of 1483 and sits at the 38th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-5575R at 1478 (0.4 percent behind) and the Intel Core i7-4710HQ at 1473 (0.7 percent behind). The i7-4712HQ, meanwhile, averages 1436 and sits at the 37th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G at 1439 (0.2 percent ahead) and the Intel Core i7-2600K at 1433 (0.2 percent behind). The aggregate scores place these two chips within 3.3 percent of each other, but the distribution of wins across individual tests tells a more nuanced story.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear division of use cases. For users prioritizing rendering workloads as measured by Cinebench, the Intel Core i7-4712HQ is the pick. It wins every Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 test in both single-core and multi-core configurations, with margins ranging from 1.3 to 1.6 percent. The consistency across three generations of the Cinebench suite is notable. The i7-4712HQ’s eight threads provide a measurable advantage in these threaded rendering tasks, even with its older Haswell architecture and lower base clock.

For users prioritizing general-purpose performance as measured by Geekbench, the Intel Core i5-7500T is the clear choice. Its 12 percent multi-core and 16.8 percent single-core victories are far larger than any advantage the i7-4712HQ manages in Cinebench. The Kaby Lake architecture’s higher instructions-per-clock is evident in these results. The i5-7500T’s higher base clock of 2.70 GHz against 2.30 GHz, combined with superior IPC, allows it to decisively outperform the i7 in these workloads despite having only four threads.

The percentile data reinforces this split. The i5-7500T’s 38th percentile ranking versus the i7-4712HQ’s 37th is a statistical tie, and the average scores of 1483 versus 1436 place the i5-7500T only 3.3 percent ahead overall. This is not a generational leap; it is a workload-dependent trade-off. The verdict from the database is straightforward: choose the i7-4712HQ for Cinebench-class rendering tasks, choose the i5-7500T for Geekbench-class general workloads. Neither chip dominates the other across the board.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is significant and explains the benchmark distribution. The i5-7500T is built on Kaby Lake, a 14 nm process, while the i7-4712HQ uses Haswell on a 22 nm process. This process node difference is substantial: the 14 nm node allows for greater transistor density and improved power efficiency. The i7-4712HQ’s datasheet lists 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die, while the i5-7500T’s transistor count and die size are not recorded in the database, but the 14 nm node inherently provides a density advantage.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The i5-7500T pairs with HD 630 graphics, while the i7-4712HQ uses Intel HD 4600. The newer HD 630 is part of the Kaby Lake generation and benefits from the architectural improvements of that family. The i5-7500T also supports DDR4 memory, whereas the i7-4712HQ is limited to DDR3. This memory support difference is architectural in nature, tied to the platform generation.

The production status also differs. The i5-7500T is listed as Active, while the i7-4712HQ is End-of-life. The release dates reflect this: the i5-7500T launched in January 2017, while the i7-4712HQ launched in March 2014. The i7-4712HQ is a Haswell-generation mobile part, while the i5-7500T is a Kaby Lake desktop part. These are different platform generations with different design priorities, separated by roughly three years of architectural development.

Specification Differences

The specification sheet reveals several key differences beyond the architecture. The core and thread counts differ: the i5-7500T has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i7-4712HQ has 4 cores and 8 threads. This hyper-threading advantage is the i7’s primary spec-sheet edge. The base clocks differ meaningfully: the i5-7500T runs at 2.70 GHz, while the i7-4712HQ runs at 2.30 GHz. The boost clocks are identical at 3.30 GHz, which explains why single-threaded performance is so close in Cinebench.

The thermal design power is close but not identical: the i5-7500T is rated at 35 W, while the i7-4712HQ is rated at 37 W. The socket types are entirely different: the i5-7500T uses Intel Socket 1151, while the i7-4712HQ uses Intel BGA 1364, reflecting the desktop versus mobile market segments. The memory support differs as noted: DDR4 for the i5-7500T with a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, versus DDR3 for the i7-4712HQ with a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. This bandwidth difference is substantial, a 50 percent advantage for the i5-7500T.

The cache hierarchy is identical: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3. Both support PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. Neither has ECC memory support, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The market segments differ: the i5-7500T is Desktop, the i7-4712HQ is Mobile. The part numbers are SR337 for the i5-7500T and SR1PZ for the i7-4712HQ. The i7-4712HQ carries a launch MSRP of $378, while no launch MSRP is recorded for the i5-7500T.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Core i7-4712HQ wins 6 of the 8 recorded head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core i5-7500T wins 2.

Q: What is the largest performance margin in either direction?

A: The largest margin is the i5-7500T’s 16.8 percent advantage in Geekbench single-core, where it scores 1078 against the i7-4712HQ’s 923.

Q: How do the Cinebench multi-core scores compare?

A: The i7-4712HQ leads in all three Cinebench multi-core tests: R15 at 454 versus 448, R20 at 1895 versus 1870, and R23 at 4512 versus 4454. The deltas are 1.3 percent in each case.

Q: Do the two processors have the same cache configuration?

A: Yes. Both have 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3.

Q: Which processor has the higher base clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-7500T has a base clock of 2.70 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-4712HQ has a base clock of 2.30 GHz. Their boost clocks are identical at 3.30 GHz.

Q: How do their overall database percentiles compare?

A: The i5-7500T sits at the 38th percentile of all CPUs, while the i7-4712HQ sits at the 37th percentile. Their average benchmark scores are 1483 and 1436, respectively.