Intel Core i7-4790 vs Intel Xeon Platinum 8280 Comparison

The Intel Core i7-4790 and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8280 are both Intel processors, but they occupy opposite ends of the product spectrum. The i7-4790 is a 2014-era desktop chip built on the Haswell architecture, while the Xeon Platinum 8280 is a 2018-era server processor built on Cascade Lake. The benchmark data shows a complete sweep for the Xeon in every head-to-head test, but the magnitude of those wins and the architectural context reveal a more nuanced picture than a simple "bigger number is better" comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Xeon Platinum 8280 wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, and it wins them by a consistent, massive margin. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 3564 against the i7-4790's 621, a delta of -82.6% (meaning the i7 is 82.6% behind). The same pattern holds in single-core: 503 versus 87, again a -82.6% delta. This consistency is striking—the Xeon is not just faster in multi-threaded workloads; it is equally dominant in single-threaded tests, which is unusual for a server chip with a lower base clock.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the Xeon scores 14854 multi-core versus 2591 for the i7-4790, and 2097 single-core versus 365. The percentage gap remains frozen at -82.6% for every Cinebench iteration. This is not a case of one chip being better at specific tasks; the Xeon is uniformly, proportionally faster across every render workload tested. In Cinebench R23, the Xeon hits 35367 multi-core and 4993 single-core, while the i7-4790 manages 6171 and 871 respectively. The i7-4790's scores are not just lower—they are consistently about 17.4% of the Xeon's scores, regardless of the test.

The data shows no single area where the i7-4790 closes the gap. In fact, the delta is so consistent that it suggests the performance difference is driven by fundamental architectural and physical advantages rather than workload-specific optimizations. The Xeon's 28 cores and 56 threads versus the i7-4790's 4 cores and 8 threads explain the multi-core gap, but the single-core delta (503 vs 87 in R15) is more surprising. The i7-4790 has a 3.60 GHz base clock and 4.00 GHz boost, while the Xeon has a 2.70 GHz base and 4.00 GHz boost—yet the Xeon still wins single-core by the same -82.6% margin. This points to IPC (instructions per clock) advantages in the newer Cascade Lake architecture, not just raw frequency.

Where Each One Wins

Given the benchmark results, the Xeon Platinum 8280 wins everywhere in the tested workloads. It is faster in every Cinebench test, both multi-core and single-core, across R15, R20, and R23. There is no benchmark in the head-to-head section where the i7-4790 takes a win. However, the i7-4790 does have advantages outside of raw compute performance that the head-to-head data does not capture.

The i7-4790 has a TDP of 84 watts, compared to the Xeon's 205 watts. This is not a benchmark score, but it is a specification difference that matters for real-world deployment. The i7-4790 also uses DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon uses DDR4 (memory bus and bandwidth are not listed for the Xeon). The i7-4790 has integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics; the Xeon has no integrated graphics listed. For a desktop PC that needs basic display output, the i7-4790 is self-sufficient. The Xeon requires a discrete GPU.

The i7-4790 also has a much smaller physical footprint: 177 mm² die size and 1,400 million transistors versus the Xeon's 8,000 million transistors on a 22 nm versus 14 nm process node. The Xeon's die size is not listed, but the transistor count alone indicates a significantly larger and more complex chip. The i7-4790 is end-of-life, while the Xeon's production status is not listed—implying it may still be available. For a user building a new system today, the i7-4790 is a legacy part, while the Xeon is a current-generation server component.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Xeon Platinum 8280 is dramatically faster than the Intel Core i7-4790 in every benchmark tested. The Xeon's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35367 is 5.7 times higher than the i7-4790's 6171. The single-core scores are nearly 5.7 times higher as well (4993 vs 871). If your workload is rendering, simulation, or any multi-threaded compute task, the Xeon is the only choice based on performance.

However, the i7-4790 is not without a use case. Its 84-watt TDP makes it suitable for low-power or compact builds where the Xeon's 205-watt TDP would be prohibitive. The integrated HD 4600 graphics mean the i7-4790 can run a desktop without a separate graphics card, which the Xeon cannot. The i7-4790 uses the Intel Socket 1150, a mainstream desktop platform, while the Xeon uses Intel Socket 3647, a server platform that requires a compatible workstation motherboard. For a basic office PC, a home server, or a legacy system upgrade, the i7-4790 remains viable. For any serious compute workload, the Xeon's 28 cores and 56 threads are in a different league.

The average benchmark scores reflect this: the i7-4790 has an average benchmark score of 10556, while the Xeon has 10230. This is counterintuitive given the head-to-head results, but it is because the i7-4790 is included in many more benchmark tests (including PassMark tests like data compression, encryption, and integer math) where it scores relatively well, while the Xeon only has Cinebench results in this data set. Both chips sit at the 66th percentile versus all CPUs, meaning neither is at the top of the overall database, but the Xeon's head-to-head dominance is real and specific to the tested workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Xeon Platinum 8280 wins every single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 4993 versus the i7-4790's 871, a -82.6% delta for the i7-4790.

Q: How do the multi-core scores compare?

A: The Xeon Platinum 8280 scores 35367 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the i7-4790 scores 6171. The Xeon is ahead by -82.6% (the i7-4790 is 82.6% behind).

Q: Does the i7-4790 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the i7-4790 includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics. The Xeon Platinum 8280 has no integrated graphics listed.

Q: What memory types do these CPUs support?

A: The i7-4790 supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Xeon Platinum 8280 supports DDR4 memory, but its memory bus and bandwidth are not listed.

Q: Which CPU has more cores and threads?

A: The Xeon Platinum 8280 has 28 cores and 56 threads. The i7-4790 has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The i7-4790 has a TDP of 84 watts. The Xeon Platinum 8280 has a TDP of 205 watts.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The i7-4790 uses the Haswell architecture, first released in 2014, while the Xeon Platinum 8280 uses Cascade Lake, released in 2018. Haswell is built on a 22 nm process node with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. Cascade Lake is built on a 14 nm process node with 8,000 million transistors; its die size is not listed. The process shrink is significant: 22 nm to 14 nm, allowing the Xeon to pack nearly six times as many transistors.

The core counts differ massively: 4 cores and 8 threads for the i7-4790 versus 28 cores and 56 threads for the Xeon. Cache hierarchies are also different. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache is 256 KB per core on the i7-4790 and 1 MB per core on the Xeon. The L3 cache is 8 MB shared on the i7-4790 versus 38.5 MB shared on the Xeon. The Xeon has nearly five times the L3 cache, which is critical for server workloads that repeatedly access large data sets.

The i7-4790 has an integrated GPU (Intel HD 4600), while the Xeon has none. The i7-4790 uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Xeon's PCIe configuration is not listed. The Xeon supports ECC memory; the i7-4790 does not. These are not benchmark scores, but they define the intended use cases: the i7-4790 is a desktop chip for consumer workloads, while the Xeon is a server chip for reliability and throughput in data centers.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is core and thread count: 4 cores / 8 threads for the i7-4790 versus 28 cores / 56 threads for the Xeon Platinum 8280. The base clock is 3.60 GHz for the i7-4790 and 2.70 GHz for the Xeon, but both have the same 4.00 GHz boost clock. The TDP is 84 watts for the i7-4790 and 205 watts for the Xeon. The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1150 for the i7-4790 and Intel Socket 3647 for the Xeon.

Memory support differs: the i7-4790 uses DDR3 with dual-channel and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon uses DDR4 with no bus or bandwidth listed. ECC memory is supported on the Xeon but not the i7-4790. The i7-4790 has integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics; the Xeon has none. PCIe is Gen 3 with 16 lanes for the i7-4790, while the Xeon's PCIe is not listed. The process node is 22 nm for the i7-4790 and 14 nm for the Xeon. Transistors are 1,400 million versus 8,000 million. L2 cache is 256 KB per core versus 1 MB per core, and L3 cache is 8 MB shared versus 38.5 MB shared. The i7-4790 is end-of-life; the Xeon's production status is not listed. The i7-4790 has a launch MSRP of $312; the Xeon has no launch MSRP listed.