Intel Core i3-4370

The Intel Core i3-4370 is a desktop processor built on Intel's Haswell architecture using a 22 nm process. It has 2 cores, 4 threads, a 3.80 GHz base clock, and no listed boost clock. The chip carries a shared 4 MB L3 cache, per-core 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 caches, and an Intel HD 4600 integrated GPU. Released on 2014-07-20, it fits Intel Socket 1150 and supports DDR3 memory. Its average benchmark score is 1127, placing it at the 32nd percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Platform and Compatibility

The i3-4370 is a Socket 1150 part from the Core i3 (Haswell) generation. Intel fabricates the Haswell die on its 22 nm process, with 1,400 million transistors and a 177 mm² die size. Memory support is DDR3 running through a dual-channel bus, and ECC memory is not supported. The platform provides PCIe Gen 3 connectivity for discrete devices. The integrated Intel HD 4600 GPU is part of the processor, so a basic display configuration can operate without a separate graphics card.

The memory configuration matters for anyone building a system around this processor. Because the memory controller is limited to DDR3, the motherboard must be populated with DDR3 modules, and the dual-channel bus is the available path for memory throughput. The CPU is a locked-multiplier part, which means the operating ratio is fixed at the factory and there is no unlocked multiplier path for user adjustment. The cache layout is directly tied to the core design: each of the 2 cores gets 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2, while a single 4 MB L3 pool is shared by all 4 threads.

The upgrade path is therefore defined by the socket and memory generation. Any processor swap on the same platform must remain within Intel Socket 1150 support and the same DDR3 memory regime. The desktop market segment also makes this a stationary-system part rather than a mobile chip. The combination of PCIe Gen 3, DDR3 dual-channel support, and HD 4600 integrated graphics makes the i3-4370 a coherent fit for a Socket 1150 desktop build, but the DDR3 requirement and the locked multiplier limit how much the platform can be pushed outside its original specification.

Power and Thermals

Intel rates the i3-4370 at 54 W TDP. That is the only power figure in the data, and it places the CPU in a thermal class where standard desktop cooling is sufficient. The 3.80 GHz base clock runs without a listed boost clock, so the thermal load under sustained operation is tied to a fixed frequency rather than a range of turbo states. The 22 nm process and 1,400 million transistor count are the physical basis for this efficiency, while the 177 mm² die size remains small enough not to stress typical desktop cooler designs.

For builders, the 54 W TDP simplifies cooler selection. A basic air cooler aimed at Socket 1150 processors is enough; there is no thermal requirement that points toward large liquid cooling or exotic mounting solutions. The presence of the Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics adds display functionality inside the same processor, but the pack does not split GPU power from CPU power, so the total thermal envelope is expressed through the 54 W TDP figure. Because the multiplier is locked, there is also no factory provision for voltage scaling through unlocked ratios, meaning the thermal behavior is best treated as a fixed-frequency, modest-load desktop part.

Benchmark Performance

Benchmark results place the i3-4370 in a tightly packed performance group. Its Cinebench R15 multicore score is 330. In Cinebench R20, it records 1375 multicore and 194 single-core. In Cinebench R23, it records 3275 multicore and 462 single-core. The average benchmark score across the database is 1127, and the CPU sits at the 32nd percentile of all CPUs.

Those aggregate numbers align closely with four nearest rivals. The Intel Core i7-2860QM has the same 1127 average score, with a 0% deltaPct. The Intel Core i5-3330S is at 1126, listed at a 0.1% deltaPct. The Intel Core i7-3612QM and Intel Core i7-2720QM are at 1130 and 1131 respectively, each listed with a -0.3% deltaPct. This means the i3-4370 falls within 0.3% of all four rivals on average benchmark score, despite the different i3, i5, and i7 labels in the comparison set.

The individual Cinebench scores reinforce that position. The R23 multicore result of 3275 shows a usable amount of threaded throughput for a 4-thread chip, while the R23 single-core result of 462 indicates the per-thread capability of the Haswell core at 3.80 GHz. The R20 split is similar: 1375 multicore versus 194 single-core. Because the nearest rivals are separated by such narrow deltas, the i3-4370's ordering against those parts is not a large performance gap. The bigger conclusion is that the i3-4370 sits in a cluster where aggregate average scores are nearly identical, and workload mix will determine which part edges ahead in any specific test.

Who Should Consider It

The i3-4370 is not positioned near the top of the CPU database. The 32nd percentile placement means most other CPUs have higher overall scores, so this is a mainstream-oriented desktop part rather than a high-end compute processor. It is suitable for users who need a working Socket 1150 CPU with DDR3 memory support and integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics.

Office and productivity workloads that rely on quick response in one or two main threads can use the fixed 3.80 GHz clock and the single-core scores: 194 in Cinebench R20 and 462 in Cinebench R23. Those are moderate results rather than class-leading numbers, but they show enough single-thread capability for everyday desktop interaction. Creation workloads built around Cinebench-style rendering can draw on the 4-thread execution path, with the R23 multicore score of 3275 as a concrete reference. However, those workloads should not be expected to scale like a higher-core-count part, because the CPU has only 2 physical cores and 4 threads.

For gaming, the platform's PCIe Gen 3 interface allows a discrete GPU to be installed, and the 4-thread CPU can handle general game logic, but the 32nd percentile overall score and 2-core/4-thread layout place it in a modest performance class. It is best suited to systems where sustained all-core rendering or high-end gaming is not the primary requirement. Someone already on a Socket 1150 motherboard with DDR3 memory could use the i3-4370 as a straightforward replacement CPU, provided the board supports Haswell processors. The locked multiplier and 54 W TDP simplify installation: the processor does not demand premium cooling or an unlocked overclocking platform.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The i3-4370's performance profile splits clearly around its 4-thread limit. In Cinebench R20, the single-core score is 194 and the multicore score is 1375. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 462 and the multicore score is 3275. The multicore runs exercise all 4 threads, while the single-core runs measure one thread at the 3.80 GHz base clock.

Because there is no listed boost clock, the single-core result is not produced by a higher burst frequency. It is the same base clock running a single-thread workload. That makes the single-core scores a direct measure of the Haswell core's efficiency at 3.80 GHz. The multi-core results then show how much additional throughput the 4-thread path can generate when the workload is parallel enough to use it.

The cache hierarchy shapes both behaviors. The shared 4 MB L3 cache is available to all threads, while each core keeps its own 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 caches. A single thread can use the entire L3 pool plus its per-core caches, whereas a multithreaded workload distributes work across both physical cores and all 4 logical threads, sharing the L3 pool between them.

For real workloads, the split means lightly threaded software will observe the per-core strength of the processor, while heavily threaded software will be bounded by the availability of only 2 physical cores. The average benchmark score of 1127 reflects that mixed profile. The nearest rival deltaPct values are 0% for the Intel Core i7-2860QM, 0.1% for the Intel Core i5-3330S, and -0.3% for both the Intel Core i7-3612QM and the Intel Core i7-2720QM. That tight grouping shows the i3-4370 competing with parts that carry different branding but produce nearly identical aggregate results.