i5-12600KF vs i7-4790

#ad 
Buy on Amazon
VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-4790
2014
4 cores / 8 threads, 84 Watt
4.57
Core i5-12600KF
2021
10 cores / 16 threads, 125 Watt
17.57
+284%

Core i5-12600KF outperforms Core i7-4790 by a whopping 284% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1304357
Place by popularity54not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.8748.78
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesCore i7 (Desktop)Intel Core i5
Power efficiency5.1213.23
Architecture codenameHaswell (2013−2015)Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)
Release date1 May 2014 (10 years ago)4 November 2021 (3 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$303$264

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i5-12600KF has 5507% better value for money than i7-4790.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores4 (Quad-Core)10 (Deca-Core)
Threads816
Base clock speed3.6 GHz3.7 GHz
Boost clock speed4 GHz4.9 GHz
Bus typeno dataDMI 4.0
Bus rate5 GT/s8 × 16 GT/s
Multiplierno data37
L1 cache64K (per core)80K (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)9.5 MB
L3 cache8 MB (shared)20 MB (shared)
Chip lithography22 nmIntel 7 nm
Die size177 mm2215.25 mm2
Maximum core temperatureno data100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °C72 °C
Number of transistors1,400 millionno data
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility-+
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration11
SocketFCLGA1150FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)84 Watt125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI++
AVX++
vPro++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Speed Shiftno data+
My WiFi+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.02.0
Hyper-Threading Technology++
Idle States++
Thermal Monitoring++
SIPP+-
Turbo Boost Max 3.0no data-
FDI+no data
Deep Learning Boost-+

Security technologies

Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+no data
EDB++
Secure Key++
Identity Protection+-
OS Guard++
Anti-Theft+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF are enumerated here.

AMD-V+-
VT-d++
VT-x++
EPT++

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size32 GB128 GB
Max memory channels22
Maximum memory bandwidth25.6 GB/s76.805 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel HD Graphics 4600no data
Max video memory2 GBno data
Quick Sync Video+-
Clear Video HD+no data
Graphics max frequency1.2 GHzno data
InTru 3D+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported3no data
eDP+no data
DisplayPort+-
HDMI+-
DVI+no data
VGA+no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.44096x2304@24Hzno data
Max resolution over eDP3840x2160@60Hzno data
Max resolution over DisplayPort3840x2160@60Hzno data
Max resolution over VGA1920x1200@60Hzno data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX11.2/12no data
OpenGL4.3no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF.

PCIe versionUp to 3.05.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes1620

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i7-4790 4.57
i5-12600KF 17.57
+284%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i7-4790 7267
i5-12600KF 27910
+284%

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i7-4790 1243
i5-12600KF 2519
+103%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i7-4790 3894
i5-12600KF 12314
+216%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 4.57 17.57
Recency 1 May 2014 4 November 2021
Physical cores 4 10
Threads 8 16
Power consumption (TDP) 84 Watt 125 Watt

i7-4790 has 48.8% lower power consumption.

i5-12600KF, on the other hand, has a 284.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 7 years, and 150% more physical cores and 100% more threads.

The Core i5-12600KF is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-4790 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4790 and Core i5-12600KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.


Intel Core i7-4790
Core i7-4790
Intel Core i5-12600KF
Core i5-12600KF

Similar processor comparisons

We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.

Community ratings

Here you can see how users rate the processors, as well as rate them yourself.


4.1 3614 votes

Rate Core i7-4790 on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
4.4 1833 votes

Rate Core i5-12600KF on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i7-4790 or Core i5-12600KF, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.