Intel Core i7-4760HQ vs Intel Core i7-8665U Comparison

The Intel Core i7-8665U and Intel Core i7-4760HQ are both 4-core, 8-thread mobile processors from Intel, but they represent very different eras and design philosophies. The i7-8665U is a low-power Whiskey Lake-U part built for thin-and-light laptops, while the i7-4760HQ is a high-power Haswell part from the Crystalwell family designed for larger, performance-oriented machines. The benchmark data shows a remarkably consistent pattern: the older i7-4760HQ wins every single Cinebench test, though by narrow margins of roughly 2-3%. This makes the comparison less about raw speed and more about efficiency, platform capability, and what each chip's design trade-offs mean for different use cases.

Where Each One Wins

The performance landscape here is defined by the i7-4760HQ's clean sweep. In all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, the Haswell chip comes out ahead, with deltaPct values ranging from -2.2% to -2.6% relative to the i7-8665U. The wins are consistent across both single-core and multi-core workloads, suggesting a fundamental per-clock advantage for the older chip in these specific rendering tasks, despite its much lower boost clock of 3.30 GHz versus 4.80 GHz.

The i7-8665U's territory is not in raw Cinebench scores but in power efficiency and platform integration. With a 15W TDP compared to the i7-4760HQ's 47W, the Whiskey Lake part is designed for systems where heat and battery life are paramount. The data shows the i7-8665U also supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, while the i7-4760HQ is limited to DDR3, giving the newer chip more flexibility in system design. For a user prioritizing a slim, fanless or low-noise chassis, the i7-8665U is the only realistic choice despite its slight performance deficit.

However, for anyone running sustained multi-threaded workloads like video encoding or 3D rendering, the i7-4760HQ's consistent lead, however small, makes it the technically superior option. The 47W TDP suggests it can maintain higher clocks under load, which the benchmark results reflect, even if the margin is just over 2%. The i7-8665U wins on integration and modern features, but the i7-4760HQ wins on sheer compute performance in every measured metric.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two chips is significant, spanning two process nodes and distinct design goals. The i7-8665U is built on Intel's 14 nm process, while the i7-4760HQ uses the older 22 nm node. This is a fundamental difference: the 14 nm node allows for better transistor density and efficiency, which is why the i7-8665U can achieve a 4.80 GHz boost clock within a 15W TDP envelope. The i7-4760HQ, despite its larger 22 nm transistors, still manages a respectable 3.30 GHz boost but requires over three times the power to do so.

The i7-4760HQ features a larger die at 264 mm² and contains 1,400 million transistors, whereas the i7-8665U's die size and transistor count are not listed. The L3 cache also differs: the i7-8665U has 8 MB shared, while the i7-4760HQ has 6 MB shared. Interestingly, the older chip's larger physical footprint and higher power draw do not translate into a performance advantage proportional to its size, highlighting how much architectural efficiency has improved.

Memory support is another clear differentiator. The i7-8665U supports both DDR3 and DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the i7-4760HQ is restricted to DDR3 with a bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. This 12.8 GB/s gap in theoretical memory bandwidth is substantial and suggests the newer chip should have an edge in memory-intensive tasks, yet the benchmarks do not reflect this. The integrated graphics also differ: the i7-8665U uses UHD Graphics 620, while the i7-4760HQ uses Intel HD 5200, though no graphics benchmarks are included in the data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are remarkably uniform, with the i7-4760HQ winning every test by a narrow margin. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-4760HQ scores 539 against the i7-8665U's 527, a delta of -2.2%. The single-core R15 test shows a similar story: 76 versus 74, a -2.6% delta. These margins are small enough that they could be within run-to-run variance, but the consistency across all tests suggests a real, if modest, advantage for the older chip.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds. Multi-core scores are 2249 for the i7-4760HQ versus 2197 for the i7-8665U, a -2.3% delta. Single-core R20 shows 317 versus 309, a -2.5% delta. The most recent Cinebench R23 results continue the trend: multi-core is 5355 versus 5232 (-2.3%), and single-core is 756 versus 738 (-2.4%). The worst margin for the i7-8665U is in R15 single-core, where it trails by 2.6%, while its best relative showing is in R15 multi-core, trailing by just 2.2%.

What is most striking is that the i7-8665U's massive 1.50 GHz boost clock advantage does not translate into single-core wins. The data implies that the i7-4760HQ's older but higher-power architecture delivers more instructions per clock in these workloads. The i7-8665U's higher clock speed is evidently not enough to overcome this per-clock deficit. In terms of average benchmark scores, the i7-4760HQ leads with 1549 against the i7-8665U's 1513, a difference of 36 points, which aligns with the head-to-head margins.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-8665U has a significantly higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz compared to the i7-4760HQ's 3.30 GHz.

Q: Does the higher clock speed result in better Cinebench performance?

A: No. Despite the i7-8665U's 1.50 GHz boost clock advantage, the i7-4760HQ wins all six Cinebench tests, with margins between 2.2% and 2.6%.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two chips?

A: The i7-8665U has a TDP of 15W, while the i7-4760HQ has a TDP of 47W, making the newer chip far more power-efficient.

Q: Which processor supports DDR4 memory?

A: Only the Intel Core i7-8665U supports DDR4 memory. The i7-4760HQ is limited to DDR3.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i7-4760HQ has an average benchmark score of 1549, while the i7-8665U scores 1513, a difference of 36 points in favor of the older chip.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No, both the Intel Core i7-8665U and the Intel Core i7-4760HQ are marked as end-of-life production status.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specification areas. The i7-8665U has a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 4800 MHz, while the i7-4760HQ runs at 2100 MHz base and 3300 MHz boost. The TDP is a major differentiator: 15W for the i7-8665U versus 47W for the i7-4760HQ. They use different sockets, with the i7-8665U on Intel BGA 1528 and the i7-4760HQ on Intel BGA 1364, meaning they are not interchangeable.

The process node differs, with the i7-8665U at 14 nm and the i7-4760HQ at 22 nm. The i7-4760HQ lists 1,400 million transistors and a die size of 264 mm², while these figures are absent for the i7-8665U. L3 cache is 8 MB shared on the i7-8665U versus 6 MB shared on the i7-4760HQ. Memory support varies: the newer chip supports DDR3 and DDR4 with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the older chip only supports DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 620 on the i7-8665U and Intel HD 5200 on the i7-4760HQ. The release dates are 2018-09-30 for the i7-8665U and 2014-01-31 for the i7-4760HQ. The i7-8665U has a launch MSRP of $409, while the i7-4760HQ has no listed launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear, if counterintuitive, verdict: the older Intel Core i7-4760HQ is the faster processor in Cinebench workloads, winning all six tests. The i7-8665U's advantages lie elsewhere. Its 15W TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where the 47W i7-4760HQ would be impractical. The newer chip also supports DDR4 memory and has a larger L3 cache, which could benefit other workloads not covered by these benchmarks. The i7-8665U's 4.80 GHz boost clock is a headline feature, but the benchmark results indicate it does not deliver superior rendering performance.

For a user building or buying a system where raw CPU rendering performance is the sole criterion, the i7-4760HQ is the pick, despite its age. The margins are small, but they are consistent across every test. For a user prioritizing portability, battery life, and modern memory support, the i7-8665U is the sensible choice, accepting a 2-3% performance penalty. The i7-8665U also carries a launch MSRP of $409, which provides a reference point, but the i7-4760HQ's lack of a listed price makes direct cost comparison impossible. Ultimately, the data suggests that architectural efficiency and power draw have improved dramatically, but raw per-core compute power in these specific tests still favors the older, hungrier chip.