CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-4590 vs Intel Core i5-4670
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.
The fastest locked Haswell i5 at launch, with 3.8 GHz turbo benefiting bursty office and development workloads.
Gaming
The 3.7 GHz turbo helps in older and eSports titles, but four threads remain a hard ceiling for modern gaming workloads.
The 3.8 GHz turbo provides the best single-threaded performance among launch Haswell i5s, helping in older games, but four threads remain a hard limit for modern titles.
Virtualization
Four threads are insufficient for practical virtualization despite VT-x and VT-d support.
vPro and VT-d features are excellent for IT management, but four threads limit practical virtualization workloads.
Efficiency
84W for this performance is unimpressive by modern standards. Competing architectures now deliver 3x the performance per watt.
84W TDP is the standard for the Haswell i5 lineup; the higher clocks do not come with a power penalty thanks to good binning.
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 dedicated AI acceleration hardware
- AVX2 and FMA3 available for basic vector operations
- DDR3 bandwidth constrains any AI inference workload
- Not suitable for local AI applications
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
- 3.8 GHz turbo is the fastest among launch locked Haswell i5s
- Good for eSports and older AAA titles with a dedicated GPU
- Bottlenecks modern mid-range GPUs in CPU-intensive titles
- No Hyper-Threading limits 1% low frame rates
- Best paired with GTX 1060 or RX 580 class GPUs
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
- Fastest locked Haswell i5 at launch with 3.8 GHz turbo
- vPro technology for enterprise IT management
- TXT and TSX for security and transactional memory
- Full instruction set including BMI1/BMI2 and F16C
- Strong single-threaded performance for its era
Cons
- vPro features unnecessary for most home users
- More expensive than i5-4570 with negligible gaming performance difference
- Locked multiplier prevents overclocking
- 84W TDP is inefficient by modern standards
- DDR3 memory platform is obsolete
- Quickly superseded by Devils Canyon i5-4690
- TSX disabled on C0 stepping via microcode errata
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 i5-4670
- AMD FX-8350Rival
Budget Desktop
- AMD FX-6300Rival
Budget Desktop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-3570Rival
Mid-Range Desktop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-4570Rival
Mid-Range Desktop
- AMD A10-6800KRival
APU Desktop
Devils Canyon refresh with improved thermal interface and slightly higher clocks on the same platform.
Compare head-to-headUnlocked multiplier for overclocking if you need more performance from the same generation.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 3600Alt
Six cores and twelve threads on a modern AM4 platform with DDR4 at similar used-market pricing.
- Intel Core i5-12400FAlt
Modern six-core with twelve threads that dramatically outperforms the i5-4670 at lower power.
Skylake successor with DDR4 support, better efficiency, and a newer platform for similar cost.
Compare head-to-head
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 reviewThe fastest locked Haswell i5 at launch with unique vPro and TXT enterprise features. A strong performer in its day, but quickly superseded by Devils Canyon and rendered obsolete by modern budget CPUs.
Best for: Repairing an enterprise desktop system that requires vPro features on LGA 1150
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-4590 or Intel Core i5-4670?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-4670 comes out ahead with a score of 7.4/10. 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 i5-4670?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-4670 leads with a gaming performance score of 52/100 among Intel Core i5-4590 and Intel Core i5-4670.
Do Intel Core i5-4590 and Intel Core i5-4670 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 i5-4670 posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-4590 (4,520), Intel Core i5-4670 (4,620). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.