Intel Core i5-4690K

The Intel Core i5-4690K is a desktop Haswell processor with 4 physical cores and 4 threads, a 3.50 GHz base clock and a 3.90 GHz boost clock, and an 88W TDP. It uses the Intel Socket 1150 platform, integrates Intel HD 4600 graphics, and carries a launch MSRP of $243. Released in June 2014, it is now an end-of-life part in the benchmark database. The aggregate data gives it an average benchmark score of 1671 and places it at the 42nd percentile among all CPUs.

Benchmark Performance

Benchmark results place the i5-4690K in a tightly packed performance neighborhood. Its average benchmark score is 1671. The nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-7600T at 1672, Intel Core i7-4770HQ at 1666, Intel Xeon D-1528 at 1677, and Intel Core i7-6700TE at 1663. In the nearestRivals data, a positive deltaPct means the i5-4690K is ahead, while a negative deltaPct means the rival is ahead. Relative to those parts, the 4690K is exactly level with the i5-7600T at a 0% delta, 0.3% faster than the i7-4770HQ, 0.3% slower than the Xeon D-1528, and 0.5% faster than the i7-6700TE.

These deltas are small enough that the 4690K can be regarded as a peer of all four chips rather than a tier above or below them. The 42nd percentile versus all CPUs confirms that reading: a majority of CPUs in the database score higher on average, while a sizable minority score lower. In raw application scores, the chip produces 487 points in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 68 in single-core. The newer Cinebench R20 run shows 2033 multi-core and 286 single-core, while Cinebench R23 shows 4841 multi-core and 683 single-core. Geekbench completes the picture with 3661 multi-core and 1308 single-core.

All of those figures feed the 1671 average, and they are internally consistent: the multi-core result is higher than the single-core result in every listed benchmark. The average-score deltas against the nearest rivals are so narrow that no rival is decisively ahead in aggregate performance. The 4690K sits in a cluster where a hundred points of average score separates it from very different product types, and the 42nd percentile standing is the broad view of where it lands in the full database.

Who Should Consider It

Users maintaining an existing Socket 1150 desktop system are the natural audience for this end-of-life processor. The 4-core, 4-thread layout is sufficient for everyday desktop work and office applications, where the 3.90 GHz boost clock and the Geekbench single-core score of 1308 matter more than the multi-thread ceiling. For Cinebench-style threaded tasks, the R23 scores of 683 single-core and 4841 multi-core show a balanced quad-core part. It can handle threaded jobs, but the absence of additional threads means scaling stops at 4.

Gaming is a more mixed recommendation. There is no game-specific result in the data, so the CPU’s gaming character must be read from the core/thread profile, the 3.90 GHz boost clock, and the unlocked multiplier. The unlocked multiplier is a meaningful data point for users who want to push clocks above the listed boost figure. The integrated HD 4600 GPU is the only graphics block listed in the data, and no separate GPU benchmark is included, so gaming performance is not quantified here.

This processor is not aimed at users who need massive multi-thread throughput. It is a desktop part with a 42nd percentile standing and a 4-thread limit. For those on a Socket 1150 platform who want an unlocked multiplier, DDR3 dual-channel memory support, and an end-of-life part that fits an existing board, the data supports that specific use case. For anyone else, the benchmark results show a mid-pack, four-thread desktop CPU with close rivals on every side.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

Across all three Cinebench versions, the i5-4690K shows the same single-thread-to-multi-thread shape: 68/487 in R15, 286/2033 in R20, and 683/4841 in R23. Geekbench follows with 1308 single-core and 3661 multi-core. Because the chip has 4 cores and 4 threads, those multi-core results come from exactly 4 physical threads; there are no logical threads beyond the core count. The cache hierarchy consists of 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, plus a shared 6 MB L3.

The single-thread numbers are the data points tied to the 3.90 GHz boost clock. Applications that rely on one thread will see behavior captured by the R23 single-core score of 683 and the Geekbench single-core score of 1308. The listing also provides a 3.50 GHz base clock, which is the lower frequency reference, and the 3.90 GHz boost clock is the higher frequency target for lightly threaded workloads.

The multi-thread scores show scaling but with a strict limit. The R23 multi-core score of 4841 is the highest Cinebench result listed, followed by R20 at 2033 and R15 at 487. Geekbench multi-core sits at 3661. The gap between single and multi is present in every test, which indicates that the 4 cores do scale across the test workloads. The limiting factor is the thread count: once all 4 threads are occupied, no further logical processors are available.

FAQ

Q: Does the i5-4690K process more than one thread per core?

A: No. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, so each core handles a single thread.

Q: What integrated graphics does it include?

A: Intel HD 4600.

Q: What memory configuration does it support?

A: Dual-channel DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s memory bandwidth; ECC memory is not supported.

Q: Is the CPU multiplier unlocked?

A: Yes. The multiplier is unlocked, and the part number is SR21A.

Q: What PCIe configuration does it provide?

A: PCIe Gen 3, 16 lanes from the CPU only.

Q: What is its production status?

A: End-of-life; the release date is June 2014.

Power and Thermals

The 88W TDP is the primary thermal class indicator for the i5-4690K. It is a desktop quad-core figure, not a high-power workstation-class number, so a capable air cooler is the implied cooling tier. The 22nm process node and the 177 mm² die holding 1,400 million transistors are the physical context for that TDP. The integrated HD 4600 GPU is included in the processor package, so the listed 88W TDP covers the complete CPU rather than just the compute portion.

The Socket 1150 platform is a desktop socket, and the 88W TDP fits that platform’s thermal envelope. Because the multiplier is unlocked, users can raise clocks above the 3.90 GHz boost figure, and doing so would place more demand on the cooler. The 88W TDP is therefore the thermal reference point for stock operation, while the unlocked multiplier is the main reason to consider a stronger cooler than a basic unit. In the end, the i5-4690K belongs in the mainstream air-cooled tier, with its 4-core Haswell design running inside a modest thermal budget.