Intel Core i7-4500U vs Intel Core i7-920 Comparison

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-920 wins every single benchmark in this comparison. Across five recorded tests, the i7-920 takes all five, with the i7-4500U trailing by margins between 13.2% and 13.8%. The i7-920 is the faster processor for any workload that shows up in the database, period.

The i7-4500U is a 15 W mobile part from the Haswell generation, designed for thin laptops where battery life and heat matter more than raw throughput. Its average benchmark score of 859 places it at the 23rd percentile of all CPUs in the database. The i7-920, a 130 W desktop part from the Nehalem generation, posts an average score of 840 and sits at the 22nd percentile. That percentile gap is nearly nonexistent, but the direct head-to-head results tell a different story: the i7-920 is consistently about 13% faster in every recorded test.

Who should pick which? If the goal is maximum compute performance in a desktop system where power draw is not a concern, the i7-920 is the clear choice. It delivers higher scores across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both single-core and multi-core. If the goal is a low-power mobile system, the i7-4500U is the only one of the two that can realistically fit in that form factor, but you are accepting a 13% performance penalty across the board. There is no scenario in the data where the i7-4500U wins a benchmark, so the verdict is straightforward: the i7-920 for performance, the i7-4500U only if the mobile platform is a hard requirement.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras of Intel design. The i7-4500U is built on the Haswell architecture, specifically the Haswell-ULT variant, using a 22 nm process node from Intel. It packs 1,300 million transistors into a 118 mm² die. The i7-920 uses the older Nehalem architecture, codenamed Bloomfield, on a 45 nm process node. It contains 731 million transistors spread across a much larger 263 mm² die. The transistor count is higher on the newer part, but the die size is smaller, reflecting the process shrink.

Core counts differ substantially. The i7-4500U has 2 physical cores and 4 threads via Hyper-Threading. The i7-920 has 4 physical cores and 8 threads. That doubling of cores and threads is the primary reason the older desktop chip wins every multi-core test. Cache hierarchies also differ: both share 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, but the L3 cache is 4 MB shared on the i7-4500U versus 8 MB shared on the i7-920. The older chip has twice the last-level cache.

Clock speeds tell a mixed story. The i7-4500U has a base clock of 1800 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz. The i7-920 has a base clock of 2670 MHz and a boost clock of 2930 MHz. The mobile part boosts higher, but the desktop part starts much higher and has more cores. The i7-4500U also includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 4400), while the i7-920 has no integrated graphics at all, which is expected for a desktop part from that era. The i7-920 uses a triple-channel memory bus, while the i7-4500U does not list a memory bus configuration in the database. Both support DDR3 memory, and neither supports ECC. The i7-4500U uses the Intel BGA 1168 socket, while the i7-920 uses the Intel Socket 1366.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The i7-920 wins every multi-core test in the database. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 246 versus 212 for the i7-4500U, a 13.8% lead. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, it scores 1025 versus 887, a 13.5% lead. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 2442 versus 2113, a 13.5% lead.

Q: Is the i7-4500U faster in single-core tests?

A: No. The i7-920 also wins single-core tests. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7-920 scores 144 versus 125, a 13.2% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 344 versus 298, a 13.4% lead. Despite the i7-4500U having a higher boost clock (3000 MHz versus 2930 MHz), the older desktop chip still comes out ahead.

Q: How do these processors compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The i7-4500U has an average benchmark score of 859, nearly identical to the AMD A8-7650K (860, 0.1% slower), the Intel Xeon W3520 (862, 0.3% slower), and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-2500T and i5-5250U (both 856, 0.3% and 0.4% faster respectively). The i7-920 averages 840, close to the Intel Xeon X5470 (839, 0.1% slower), the Intel Core i5-3380M and i5-5200U (both 838, 0.2% and 0.3% faster), and the AMD FX-8800P (843, 0.3% slower).

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The i7-4500U has a TDP of 15 W, while the i7-920 has a TDP of 130 W. That is a massive difference, reflecting the mobile versus desktop design goals. The i7-4500U is designed for battery-powered laptops, while the i7-920 is designed for desktop systems with robust cooling.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: The i7-920 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i7-4500U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache. Both have the same per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB) cache sizes.

Q: Does either processor support ECC memory?

A: No. Both the i7-4500U and the i7-920 have ECC memory support marked as false in the database.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-4500U | Intel Core i7-920 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 1800 MHz | 2670 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 3000 MHz | 2930 MHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 130 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1168 | Intel Socket 1366 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Nehalem |

| Codename | Haswell-ULT | Bloomfield |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 45 nm |

| Transistors | 1,300 million | 731 million |

| Die Size | 118 mm² | 263 mm² |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bus | Not listed | Triple-channel |

| PCIe | Not listed | Gen 2 |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4400 | None |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Production Status | Not listed | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2013-06-03 | 2008-11-16 |

| Part Number | SR16Z | SLBCHSLBEJ |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a uniform pattern: the i7-920 wins all five recorded tests, with deltas ranging from 13.2% to 13.8%. There are no surprises, no mixed results, and no tests where the i7-4500U manages to close the gap.

Starting with Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-920 scores 246 against the i7-4500U's 212. That is a 13.8% advantage, the largest margin in the entire comparison. The older chip has double the cores and threads, and it shows in this heavily multi-threaded test.

Cinebench R20 multi-core shows a similar story: the i7-920 scores 1025, the i7-4500U scores 887, a 13.5% gap. Cinebench R23 multi-core repeats the pattern with 2442 versus 2113, again 13.5%. The consistency of these multi-core results across different versions of Cinebench suggests the performance difference is structural, tied to the core count and cache size, not a quirk of any single benchmark version.

Single-core tests are more interesting because the i7-4500U actually has a higher boost clock (3000 MHz versus 2930 MHz). Yet the i7-920 still wins. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7-920 scores 144 versus 125, a 13.2% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 344 versus 298, a 13.4% lead. The older Nehalem architecture appears to have better per-clock efficiency in these tests, or the boost clock difference is not enough to overcome architectural advantages. Either way, the data shows the i7-920 ahead in every single-core test as well.

The i7-4500U does not have a single benchmark win in the database. Its closest result is the 13.2% deficit in Cinebench R20 single-core, which is still a decisive loss. The i7-920 wins five out of five, with an average delta of roughly 13.5% across all tests.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-920 wins everywhere in the recorded benchmarks. There is no workload category in the data where the i7-4500U comes out ahead. That said, the use-case split is about more than raw scores.

The i7-920 is the pick for any desktop workload that can use multiple cores. Its 4 cores and 8 threads give it a 13.5% to 13.8% advantage in multi-core Cinebench tests. It also wins single-core tests by 13.2% to 13.4%, meaning even lightly threaded applications will run faster on the older chip. The 8 MB of L3 cache and triple-channel memory bus further support data-intensive tasks. If you are rendering, compiling, or running heavy productivity software, the i7-920 is the better choice according to every measurement in the database.

The i7-4500U has a different role. Its 15 W TDP makes it suitable for mobile devices, where the i7-920's 130 W TDP would be impractical. The integrated Intel HD 4400 graphics mean the i7-4500U can handle display output without a separate GPU, which is essential for thin laptops. Its smaller die size (118 mm² versus 263 mm²) and newer 22 nm process make it a more efficient part. However, efficiency does not translate into benchmark wins here. The i7-4500U is not the faster processor in any test; it is simply the only one of the two that fits a low-power mobile form factor.

For a builder choosing between these two today, the decision comes down to platform constraints. If you have a desktop motherboard with Socket 1366 and a cooling solution capable of handling 130 W, the i7-920 is the superior performer in every recorded metric. If you need a mobile processor, the i7-4500U is the only viable option between the two, but you should expect a consistent 13% performance deficit compared to the desktop part. The data does not support any other conclusion.