CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-4460 vs Intel Core i5-4590
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-4460 is a 4-core, 4-thread desktop processor from the Haswell generation, offering solid mainstream performance with integrated HD 4600 graphics at an accessible price point.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Adequate for basic office tasks and web browsing but struggles with heavy multitasking or large spreadsheet calculations.
Adequate for basic office tasks. The 3.7 GHz turbo helps with bursty single-threaded workloads like application launches.
Gaming
Can handle older or eSports titles at 1080p with a dedicated GPU, but bottlenecks modern AAA games significantly.
The 3.7 GHz turbo helps in older and eSports titles, but four threads remain a hard ceiling for modern gaming workloads.
Virtualization
Limited by four threads and no Hyper-Threading; running multiple VMs is impractical.
Four threads are insufficient for practical virtualization despite VT-x and VT-d support.
Efficiency
The 22nm Haswell node was efficient for its time, but 84W TDP for this performance level is high by modern standards.
84W for this performance is unimpressive by modern standards. Competing architectures now deliver 3x the performance per watt.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No dedicated AI acceleration hardware
- AVX2 provides minimal benefit for inference workloads
- DDR3 bandwidth is a severe bottleneck for AI tasks
- Not viable for any meaningful local AI inference
- No AI acceleration hardware
- AVX2 available but insufficient for practical inference
- DDR3 bandwidth severely constrains any AI workload
- Not recommended for any local AI tasks
Content Creation
Gaming
- Bottlenecks modern GPUs in CPU-intensive titles
- Suitable for eSports games like CS:GO and League of Legends
- Lacks AVX2-heavy game optimizations in newer titles
- DDR3 memory bandwidth limits frame pacing in open-world games
- No Hyper-Threading reduces minimum frame rates in threaded engines
- Best gaming CPU in the standard Haswell i5 lineup at launch
- 3.7 GHz turbo provides solid single-threaded performance for the era
- Still capable with eSports titles like CS:GO and Valorant at 1080p
- Bottlenecks anything above a GTX 1060 or RX 580 in modern titles
- DDR3 memory bandwidth limits minimum frame rates in open-world games
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Affordable on the used market
- Four real cores without SMT scheduling quirks
- Integrated HD 4600 for basic display needs
- Wide availability of used LGA 1150 motherboards
- Low enough power for basic cooling solutions
Cons
- Only 4 threads with no Hyper-Threading
- Locked multiplier prevents overclocking
- DDR3 memory is obsolete and slower
- 84W TDP is inefficient for the performance delivered
- No longer receives microcode updates for new security mitigations
- Minimal turbo boost of only 200 MHz
- Outpaced by modern budget CPUs like the i3-12100
Pros
- Highest clocks among standard Haswell i5 SKUs at launch
- 500 MHz turbo delta provides good burst performance
- Mature 22nm silicon for improved reliability
- Same TDP as slower SKUs despite higher clocks
- Affordable on the used market for system repairs
Cons
- Only 4 threads without Hyper-Threading
- Locked multiplier prevents any meaningful overclocking
- 84W TDP is inefficient for its performance level
- DDR3 platform is obsolete
- No modern security feature support
- Quickly superseded by Devils Canyon i5-4690
- Outperformed by modern i3 processors at lower power
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-4460
- AMD FX-6300Rival
Budget Desktop
- AMD FX-8320Rival
Budget Desktop
- Intel Core i3-4360Rival
Budget Desktop
- AMD A10-7850KRival
APU Desktop
- Intel Core i5-4440Rival
Mid-Range Desktop
Same platform with higher clocks and turbo boost for slightly more money.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 1600Alt
Modern 6-core/12-thread CPU with DDR4 support at similar used pricing.
Modern budget CPU that vastly outperforms the i5-4460 in single-threaded tasks.
Compare head-to-headSkylake successor with DDR4 support and better efficiency on the same class of motherboard pricing.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5600GAlt
Modern APU with vastly superior integrated graphics and six cores.
Intel Core i5-4590
- AMD FX-8320Rival
Budget Desktop
- AMD FX-6300Rival
Budget Desktop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-4570Rival
Mid-Range Desktop
- Intel Core i3-4360Rival
Budget Desktop
- AMD A10-7850KRival
APU Desktop
Devils Canyon refresh with improved thermal interface and slightly higher clocks on the same socket.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 1600Alt
Six cores and twelve threads on a modern AM4 platform with DDR4 support.
Modern budget quad-core with vastly superior single-threaded performance and DDR4/DDR5 support.
Compare head-to-headSkylake successor with DDR4 memory, better efficiency, and a newer platform.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5600Alt
Modern six-core with excellent gaming and productivity performance at reasonable pricing.
Our Verdict on Each
A dependable mid-range Haswell processor that delivered excellent value during its prime, but struggles to meet modern workload demands due to its locked multiplier and aging DDR3 platform.
Best for: Used spare part for repairing an existing LGA 1150 system
Read the full reviewThe i5-4590 was arguably the best value in the Haswell i5 lineup, offering the highest clock speeds among non-K SKUs at launch. It remains functional for basic computing but is thoroughly outclassed by modern budget processors.
Best for: Dropping into an existing LGA 1150 system as a replacement or upgrade from a Pentium or i3
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-4460 or Intel Core i5-4590?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-4590 comes out ahead with a score of 7.3/10. 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 i5-4460 or Intel Core i5-4590?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-4590 leads with a gaming performance score of 50/100 among Intel Core i5-4460 and Intel Core i5-4590.
Do Intel Core i5-4460 and Intel Core i5-4590 use the same socket?
Yes — all of these CPUs use the LGA 1150 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-4590 posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-4460 (4,210), Intel Core i5-4590 (4,520). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.