Intel Core i7-4500U vs Intel Xeon X5470 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly along generational and architectural lines, but the outcome is unambiguous. The Intel Xeon X5470 wins every head-to-head comparison, all five tests, by a margin between 13.2% and 13.5% across the recorded tests. The Core i7-4500U does not register a single win in the direct comparison set. That means in every recorded multithreaded and single-threaded workload, the Xeon X5470 finishes ahead.

The Core i7-4500U is a dual-core, four-thread Haswell part designed for mobile systems. Its base clock of 1800 MHz and boost clock of 3.00 GHz are low enough that even its newer architecture cannot overcome the raw clock and core advantage of the Xeon. The Xeon X5470 runs at a fixed 3.33 GHz with four physical cores and no boost clock, which gives it a consistent advantage in both single-threaded and fully parallel workloads.

Where each one wins is therefore a matter of context rather than benchmark results. The Core i7-4500U wins on platform characteristics: it is a 15 W mobile processor with integrated graphics, Intel HD 4400, and a 22 nm process. The Xeon X5470 is a 120 W server and workstation part on the older 45 nm Core 2 architecture, with no integrated graphics. In the recorded data, however, the Xeon leads in every compute metric.

The percentile data places both near the bottom of the overall CPU distribution. The Core i7-4500U sits at the 23rd percentile of all CPUs, while the Xeon X5470 sits at the 22nd percentile. Their average benchmark scores are close: 859 for the mobile Core i7 and 839 for the server Xeon. That average includes the Core i7's Geekbench results, which the Xeon does not have recorded, so the head-to-head Cinebench scores are the more reliable direct comparison.

The Xeon X5470's wins are consistent across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both multicore and single-core variants. The largest margin is 13.5% in Cinebench R15 multicore, the smallest is 13.2% in Cinebench R20 single-core. This uniformity suggests the Xeon's clock speed advantage of 3.33 GHz versus a 3.00 GHz boost clock, combined with its two additional physical cores, provides a stable performance edge across different rendering workloads. The Core i7-4500U's only possible advantage in the data is its newer Haswell cores and integrated GPU, but those do not translate into any recorded benchmark wins.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Xeon X5470 wins every recorded multi-core test. In Cinebench R15 multicore it scores 245 versus 212 for the Core i7-4500U, a 13.5% lead. In Cinebench R20 multicore it scores 1024 versus 887, a 13.4% lead, and in Cinebench R23 multicore it scores 2440 versus 2113, also a 13.4% lead.

Q: Does the Core i7-4500U win in single-core performance?

A: No. The Xeon X5470 also wins both recorded single-core tests. It scores 144 versus 125 in Cinebench R20 single-core, a 13.2% margin, and 344 versus 298 in Cinebench R23 single-core, a 13.4% margin.

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages compare?

A: The Core i7-4500U has an average benchmark score of 859, while the Xeon X5470 has an average of 839. However, the Core i7's average includes Geekbench scores (1562 multi-core, 818 single-core) that the Xeon does not have recorded, so the Cinebench head-to-head results are the more direct comparison.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Xeon X5470 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Core i7-4500U has 2 cores and 4 threads. The Xeon's two additional physical cores contribute to its multi-core lead.

Q: What are their power consumption ratings?

A: The Core i7-4500U has a TDP of 15 W, while the Xeon X5470 has a TDP of 120 W. The mobile part is far more energy-efficient, but the server part uses its higher power budget for sustained clock speed.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Xeon X5470 supports ECC memory. The Core i7-4500U does not. The Xeon also supports DDR2 and DDR3 depending on the motherboard, with dual-channel memory bus, while the Core i7 supports DDR3.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison set contains five recorded benchmarks, all from the Cinebench suite, and the Xeon X5470 wins all of them by a narrow but consistent margin. The largest single win is in Cinebench R15 multicore, where the Xeon scores 245 and the Core i7-4500U scores 212, a 13.5% difference. That is also the oldest benchmark in the set, and the margin there is nearly identical to the newer releases.

In Cinebench R20 multicore, the Xeon scores 1024 against 887 for the Core i7, a 13.4% delta. The single-core variant of the same test shows the Xeon at 144 and the Core i7 at 125, a 13.2% delta, the smallest margin recorded. In Cinebench R23, the multicore result is 2440 for the Xeon versus 2113 for the Core i7, again a 13.4% delta, and the single-core result is 344 versus 298, also a 13.4% delta.

The consistency of these margins is notable. Across five benchmarks spanning three Cinebench versions, the delta never deviates beyond a range of 0.3 percentage points. This indicates a stable performance relationship rather than workload-specific variation. The Xeon's advantage is not concentrated in any one test type; it applies equally to single-threaded and multi-threaded rendering tasks.

The Core i7-4500U's best relative result is in Cinebench R20 single-core, where it trails by 13.2%. Its worst relative result is in Cinebench R15 multicore, where it trails by 13.5%. The Xeon's advantage in single-core tests is slightly smaller than in multi-core tests, which makes sense given that the Core i7's Haswell architecture has a higher instructions-per-clock rate than the older Core 2 architecture. However, the Xeon's 3.33 GHz fixed clock overcomes that IPC deficit even in single-threaded work.

The Core i7's boost clock of 3.00 GHz is 330 MHz lower than the Xeon's fixed 3.33 GHz. That 9.9% clock disadvantage, combined with two fewer physical cores in multi-threaded tests, explains the observed margins. The newer 22 nm process and Haswell cores of the Core i7 narrow the gap but do not close it. The Xeon's older 45 nm Harpertown cores are clocked high enough to stay ahead in every recorded workload.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The Core i7-4500U has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the Xeon X5470 has 4 cores and 4 threads. Both support an equal thread count, but the Xeon does so with physical cores rather than Hyper-Threading. The Core i7 runs at a base clock of 1800 MHz with a boost clock of 3.00 GHz; the Xeon runs at a fixed 3.33 GHz with no boost capability.

Power consumption differs dramatically. The Core i7-4500U has a TDP of 15 W, the Xeon X5470 a TDP of 120 W. That is an eightfold difference in thermal envelope. The sockets are incompatible: the Core i7 uses Intel BGA 1168, the Xeon uses Intel Socket 771. The Core i7 is a mobile part, the Xeon is a server and workstation part.

Memory support also diverges. The Core i7 supports DDR3 only, with no ECC support. The Xeon supports DDR2 or DDR3 depending on the motherboard, with dual-channel memory bus and ECC support. The Xeon also has PCIe Gen 2, while the Core i7 has no recorded PCIe specification in the data. The Core i7 includes integrated graphics, Intel HD 4400; the Xeon has no integrated graphics.

The process nodes reflect their release dates. The Core i7-4500U is built on a 22 nm process with 1,300 million transistors on a 118 mm² die. The Xeon X5470 is built on a 45 nm process with 820 million transistors across a dual-die package of 2x 107 mm². The Core i7's die is a single 118 mm² chip; the Xeon's is two 107 mm² dies. The Core i7 has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Xeon has no L3 cache and instead has 6 MB of L2 per die. Both have 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core on the Core i7, but the Xeon's L2 is organized per die rather than per core.

Release timing is also distinct. The Core i7-4500U was released in June 2013, the Xeon X5470 in September 2008. The Xeon is marked as end-of-life production status, while the Core i7 has no recorded production status. The Xeon has a recorded launch MSRP of $1386; the Core i7 has no launch MSRP recorded. The part numbers are SR16Z for the Core i7 and SLBBF for the Xeon.

Architecture Differences

The Core i7-4500U uses the Haswell architecture, specifically the Haswell-ULT codename, built on a 22 nm process. It is a dual-core design with Hyper-Threading, allowing 4 threads. The Xeon X5470 uses the Core 2 architecture with the Harpertown codename, built on a 45 nm process. It is a quad-core design without Hyper-Threading, so its 4 threads come from 4 physical cores.

The cache hierarchies are fundamentally different. The Core i7-4500U has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Xeon X5470 also has 64 KB of L1 per core, but its L2 is listed as 6 MB per die, with no L3 cache at all. The Xeon's dual-die design, 2x 107 mm², means each die has its own 6 MB L2. This is a classic Core 2 architecture arrangement: large per-die L2 caches instead of a shared L3.

The transistor counts reflect the process generation difference. The Core i7-4500U packs 1,300 million transistors into 118 mm² at 22 nm. The Xeon X5470 uses 820 million transistors spread across two 107 mm² dies at 45 nm. The newer process allows the Core i7 to fit more transistors in a smaller area, but the Xeon's higher clock speed compensates in the recorded benchmarks.

The memory architecture differs as well. The Core i7-4500U supports DDR3 with no ECC. The Xeon X5470 supports DDR2 or DDR3 depending on the motherboard, with dual-channel memory bus and ECC support. The Xeon's server positioning is clear: ECC memory, dual-channel bus, and PCIe Gen 2 are all enterprise-oriented features. The Core i7-4500U is a mobile part with integrated graphics, Intel HD 4400, and no ECC, aimed at power efficiency.

The Xeon's lack of a boost clock is a notable architectural difference. Its 3.33 GHz base clock is also its maximum clock. The Core i7-4500U has a 1800 MHz base clock and a 3.00 GHz boost clock, a 1.2 GHz range that allows it to save power when idle and ramp up under load. The Xeon's fixed clock is simpler and consistent, which suits a server environment where sustained performance matters more than power saving.

The generation labels in the data place the Core i7 in the Core i7 (Haswell) generation and the Xeon in the Xeon (Harpertown) generation. The Core i7 is a later design by roughly five years, and its 22 nm process and Haswell microarchitecture are significantly more advanced than the 45 nm Core 2 design. Yet the Xeon's higher clock and extra cores keep it ahead in the recorded workloads, which highlights how clock speed and core count can outweigh architectural generation advantages in compute-heavy tasks.