Intel Core i5-8305G vs Intel Core i7-4790S Comparison

The Intel Core i5-8305G and Intel Core i7-4790S are both 4-core, 8-thread processors, but they represent two very different design eras: one is a mobile-first Kaby Lake-G part with a discrete-class GPU, and the other is a desktop Haswell part from 2014. The benchmark data reveals a fascinating split: the i7-4790S consistently dominates in Cinebench workloads, while the i5-8305G takes a clear lead in Geekbench tests. With an average benchmark score of 1831 for the i5-8305G and 1827 for the i7-4790S, the overall performance delta is a razor-thin 0.2%, placing them as direct rivals in the database's percentile ranking, both sitting at the 42nd percentile of all CPUs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is the near-uniform victory of the Intel Core i7-4790S across all three Cinebench versions. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-4790S scores 595 against the i5-8305G's 578, a 2.9% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a similar story: the i7-4790S leads with 84 points versus 81, a 3.6% margin. This trend continues in Cinebench R20, where the i7-4790S posts 2482 multicore and 350 single-core, compared to 2410 and 340 for the i5-8305G, maintaining the exact same 2.9% delta in both sub-tests.

Cinebench R23 reinforces this dominance. The i7-4790S scores 5911 multicore and 834 single-core, while the i5-8305G manages 5739 and 810 respectively, again a 2.9% gap in both metrics. What is notable here is the consistency of the delta across R15, R20, and R23—the i7-4790S is not just faster in one synthetic test, but delivers a steady, repeatable 2.9% to 3.6% advantage in every Cinebench iteration. This suggests a fundamental architectural edge in the rendering and ray-tracing workloads that Cinebench's Cinema 4D engine represents.

However, the Geekbench results tell a completely different story. The i5-8305G decisively wins the Geekbench multicore test with 3536 points against the i7-4790S's 3307, a substantial 6.9% lead. The single-core Geekbench test is even more lopsided: the i5-8305G scores 1150 versus 1056, an 8.9% advantage. This is a significant reversal—the i5-8305G is nearly 9% faster in Geekbench single-core, yet nearly 3% slower in Cinebench single-core. The data suggests these two benchmarks are measuring very different aspects of CPU performance, with Geekbench favoring the newer Kaby Lake architecture's memory and instruction handling, while Cinebench rewards the Haswell design's raw compute pipeline.

Where Each One Wins

The use-case split is clear from the win distribution: the i7-4790S wins 6 of the 8 benchmark tests, while the i5-8305G wins 2. The i7-4790S is the clear choice for content creation and 3D rendering workloads that rely on Cinebench-style performance. Its consistent 2.9% lead in multicore across R15, R20, and R23 means that any application leveraging similar rendering engines—think 3D modeling, animation, or video effects—will see a measurable, if modest, advantage. The single-core Cinebench lead of 3.6% in R15 and 2.9% in R20/R23 also indicates a slight edge in tasks that are not fully threaded but rely on a single heavy compute thread.

Conversely, the i5-8305G's wins in Geekbench point to strengths in different workloads. The 6.9% multicore and 8.9% single-core Geekbench leads suggest that this processor handles integer and floating-point operations with better efficiency, likely benefiting general productivity software, web browsing, office applications, and even some light content creation that uses Geekbench-style logic. The fact that the i5-8305G's avgBenchmarkScore is 1831, slightly above the i7-4790S's 1827, reflects that its Geekbench wins are large enough to offset its Cinebench losses. For a mobile user, the i5-8305G also brings integrated Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics, a feature absent from the i7-4790S's Intel HD 4600, making it the superior choice for any workload that leverages GPU acceleration or gaming, though the CPU-only data here does not capture that.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster overall?

A: The data shows a statistical tie. The i5-8305G has an average benchmark score of 1831, while the i7-4790S scores 1827, a 0.2% difference. Both sit at the 42nd percentile of all CPUs, and they appear as nearest rivals to each other with a deltaPct of ±0.2%.

Q: Why does the i7-4790S win Cinebench tests but lose Geekbench?

A: The i7-4790S wins all six Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 sub-tests by 2.9% to 3.6%, indicating a superior rendering engine. However, the i5-8305G wins both Geekbench tests by 6.9% (multicore) and 8.9% (singlecore), showing that Geekbench's workload mix favors the newer Kaby Lake architecture's memory hierarchy and instruction execution.

Q: Is the i5-8305G better for single-threaded tasks?

A: It depends on the benchmark. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i7-4790S is 3.6% faster. In Cinebench R20 and R23 single-core, the i7-4790S is 2.9% faster. However, in Geekbench single-core, the i5-8305G is 8.9% faster. The answer varies by workload type.

Q: What is the performance difference in multi-core rendering?

A: The i7-4790S leads by 2.9% in all three Cinebench multicore tests: 595 vs 578 in R15, 2482 vs 2410 in R20, and 5911 vs 5739 in R23. In contrast, the i5-8305G leads by 6.9% in Geekbench multicore (3536 vs 3307).

Q: Are these processors comparable in overall performance?

A: Yes. The i5-8305G's average score of 1831 is only 0.2% higher than the i7-4790S's 1827. They are listed as nearest rivals to each other, with the i5-8305G seeing a 0.2% deltaPct over the i7-4790S, and the i7-4790S seeing a -0.2% deltaPct relative to the i5-8305G.

Q: Which processor has a higher clock speed?

A: The i7-4790S has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The i5-8305G has a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The higher clocks likely contribute to the i7-4790S's Cinebench wins, though the i5-8305G still wins Geekbench.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in every major specification category. The i5-8305G uses a 14 nm process node, while the i7-4790S uses 22 nm. The i7-4790S has a higher base clock at 3.20 GHz versus 2.80 GHz, and a higher boost clock at 4.00 GHz versus 3.80 GHz. Both have a 65 W TDP, but the i5-8305G uses the Intel BGA 2270 socket, while the i7-4790S uses Intel Socket 1150.

Memory support is a key differentiator: the i5-8305G supports DDR4, while the i7-4790S supports DDR3. The i7-4790S also specifies a dual-channel memory bus with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the i5-8305G's memory bus and bandwidth are not listed. The i7-4790S has an 8 MB shared L3 cache, whereas the i5-8305G has 6 MB shared. The integrated graphics differ greatly: the i5-8305G features Radeon RX Vega M GL, while the i7-4790S has Intel HD 4600.

Market positioning and lifecycle also diverge. The i5-8305G is a Mobile segment processor, released on 2018-01-31, and has an Active production status. The i7-4790S is a Desktop part, released on 2014-05-10, and is End-of-life. The i7-4790S has a launch MSRP of $312, while the i5-8305G has no listed launch MSRP. The i7-4790S also has a listed part number (SR1QM) and a transistor count of 1,400 million with a die size of 177 mm², while the i5-8305G lacks these details.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is substantial. The i5-8305G is built on the Kaby Lake architecture, specifically codenamed Kaby Lake G, and belongs to the Core i5 (Kaby Lake-G) generation. The i7-4790S uses the Haswell architecture, with the codename Haswell, and belongs to the Core i7 (Haswell) generation. This represents a generational shift from 22 nm to 14 nm process technology, which typically enables better power efficiency and higher transistor density.

Both processors have identical core and thread counts—4 cores and 8 threads—and both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. However, the L3 cache differs: the i5-8305G has 6 MB shared, while the i7-4790S has 8 MB shared. Neither processor supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The foundry and process node are the same in terms of manufacturer (Intel), but the node size is the most visible difference. The i7-4790S's larger 22 nm process and 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die suggest a more power-hungry design, yet both are rated at 65 W TDP. The i5-8305G's newer 14 nm node likely contributes to its Geekbench advantages, as it can execute instructions more efficiently despite lower clock speeds. The i7-4790S also explicitly lists PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-8305G's PCIe configuration is not provided. The i5-8305G's integrated Radeon RX Vega M GL is a major architectural departure from the i7-4790S's Intel HD 4600, indicating a different design philosophy where the CPU and GPU are more tightly integrated for mobile performance.