CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-8400 vs Intel Core i5-4590S
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-8400 is a landmark mainstream desktop processor that fundamentally shifted the budget CPU market by bringing six physical cores to the i5 tier for the first time.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Handles office tasks and moderate programming workloads efficiently.
Solid for everyday office apps and web browsing.
Gaming
Capable of smooth 1080p gaming when paired with a mid-range discrete GPU.
Handles older games fine but bottlenecks modern mid-range GPUs.
Virtualization
Good for basic VMs, but 6 threads limit heavy parallel virtualization.
Limited to light VM usage.
Efficiency
Balanced performance within a standard 65W power envelope.
Excellent power-to-performance ratio for its era.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI-specific hardware
- CPU inference is slow due to lack of threads
- No AI acceleration
- Unsuitable for modern AI tasks
Content Creation
Gaming
- Excellent for budget gaming builds
- Handles eSports titles flawlessly
- May bottleneck high-end modern GPUs at 1080p
- Requires a dedicated GPU
- Pairs well with GTX 1050 Ti or RX 570
- Will struggle with modern CPU-bound titles
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Disruptive price-to-performance ratio
- 6 physical cores for modern gaming
- Includes integrated UHD Graphics 630
- Standard 65W TDP is easy to cool
- Wide compatibility with 300-series motherboards
Cons
- No Hyper-Threading (only 6 threads)
- Locked multiplier prevents overclocking
- End-of-life platform (LGA 1151)
- Officially limited to DDR4-2666
- Not supported by Windows 11 officially
Pros
- Low 65W TDP
- Decent single-core performance for legacy apps
- Affordable used drop-in upgrade
- Intel HD 4600 graphics included
- Good for basic office and HTPC use
Cons
- Obsolete DDR3 platform
- Locked multiplier
- No official Windows 11 support
- Bottlenecks modern GPUs
- Limited to 4 threads
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-8400
- AMD Ryzen 5 1600Rival
Mainstream Desktop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-7500Rival
Mainstream Desktop
- AMD Ryzen 5 2600Rival
Mainstream Desktop
- Intel Core i7-7700Rival
Mainstream Desktop
- AMD Ryzen 5 2400GRival
Mainstream Desktop
Slightly newer generation with marginally higher clocks.
Compare head-to-headNewer platform with 8 threads and similar gaming performance.
Compare head-to-headLow power alternative for SFF builds.
Compare head-to-head
Intel Core i5-4590S
- AMD FX-8350Rival
High-End Desktop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-4570SRival
Low Power Desktop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-4590Rival
Standard Desktop
- AMD FX-8320ERival
Low Power Desktop
- Intel Core i3-4370Rival
Budget Desktop
Newer Haswell Refresh with slightly higher clocks.
Compare head-to-head- Intel Core i7-4790SAlt
Hyper-threaded efficient alternative.
- AMD Ryzen 3 2200GAlt
Modern budget APU alternative.
Modern budget hexa-core alternative.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 2600Alt
Modern budget hexa-core alternative.
Our Verdict on Each
A legendary value CPU that forced the market to adopt 6 cores as the standard. Excellent for budget gaming, though lacking Hyper-Threading.
Best for: Upgrading an older LGA 1151 system on a budget, or building an office/HTPC machine.
Read the full reviewA solid Haswell Refresh chip that slightly improves clocks over the 4570S while maintaining 65W efficiency.
Best for: Drop-in upgrade for an older LGA 1150 motherboard.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-8400 or Intel Core i5-4590S?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-8400 comes out ahead with a score of 8.5/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-8400 or Intel Core i5-4590S?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-8400 leads with a gaming performance score of 78/100 among Intel Core i5-8400 and Intel Core i5-4590S.
Do Intel Core i5-8400 and Intel Core i5-4590S use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core i5-8400: Intel Socket 1151, Intel Core i5-4590S: LGA 1150), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which has more cores?
The Intel Core i5-8400 has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Core i5-8400 (6 cores), Intel Core i5-4590S (4 cores).
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-4590S posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-4590S (3,700). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.