CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-4590 vs Intel Core i5-4590S
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-4590 is a mid-cycle Haswell refresh quad-core processor with 3.3 GHz base and 3.7 GHz turbo clocks, offering improved clocks over the launch i5-4570 while maintaining the same 84W TDP and LGA 1150 platform.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Adequate for basic office tasks. The 3.7 GHz turbo helps with bursty single-threaded workloads like application launches.
Solid for everyday office apps and web browsing.
Gaming
The 3.7 GHz turbo helps in older and eSports titles, but four threads remain a hard ceiling for modern gaming workloads.
Handles older games fine but bottlenecks modern mid-range GPUs.
Virtualization
Four threads are insufficient for practical virtualization despite VT-x and VT-d support.
Limited to light VM usage.
Efficiency
84W for this performance is unimpressive by modern standards. Competing architectures now deliver 3x the performance per watt.
Excellent power-to-performance ratio for its era.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- 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
- No AI acceleration
- Unsuitable for modern AI tasks
Content Creation
Gaming
- 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
- 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
- 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- DDR3 platform is obsolete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- Quickly superseded by Devils Canyon i5-4690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
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 i5-4590
- 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.
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
The 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 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 i5-4590 or Intel Core i5-4590S?
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 i5-4590 or Intel Core i5-4590S?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-4590 leads with a gaming performance score of 50/100 among Intel Core i5-4590 and Intel Core i5-4590S.
Which uses less power?
The Intel Core i5-4590S has the lowest rated TDP. Power draw across these chips: Intel Core i5-4590 (84 W), Intel Core i5-4590S (65 W).
Do Intel Core i5-4590 and Intel Core i5-4590S 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 i5-4590 (4,520), Intel Core i5-4590S (3,700). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.