| | | | | | |

Core i7-4790 vs i3-4170


Description
Both models i7-4790 and i3-4170 are based on Haswell architecture.

"Haswell is known as fourth-generation core too. It uses 22nm Tri-Gate FinFET (non-planar, ""3D"") technology. It includes four arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and three address generation unit (AGU). This generation is able to run Advanced Vector Extensions 2 (AVX2) instruction set among BMI1, BMI2, ABM and FMA3. At this time, Intel used new sockets: LGA 1150 for desktops and BGA1364 for the mobile CPUs."

Using the multithread performance as a reference, the i7-4790 gets a score of 173.9 k points while the i3-4170 gets 92.7 k points.

Summarizing, the i7-4790 is 1.9 times faster than the i3-4170. To get a proper comparison between both models, take a look to the data shown below.

Specs
CPUID
306c3
306c3
Core
Haswell
Haswell
Architecture
Base frecuency
3.6 GHz
3.7 GHz
Boost frecuency
4 GHz
3.7 GHz
Socket
LGA 1150
LGA1150
Cores/Threads
4/8
2/4
TDP
84 W
54 W
Cache L1 (d+i)
32+32 kB
2x32+2x32 kB
Cache L2
256 kB
2x256 kB
Cache L3
8192 kB
3072 kB
Date
May 2014
March 2015
Mean monothread perf.
44.73k points
44.24k points
Mean multithread perf.
173.89k points
92.71k points

Non-optimized benchmark
The benchmark in Mode 0 (FPU) measures cpu performance with non-optimized software. It uses the basic µinstructions from the i386 architecture with the i387 floating point unit. This mode is compatible with all CPUs so it's practical to compare very different CPUs
Monothread
i7-4790
i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
4.51k
4.24k (x0.94)
Test#2 (FP)
11.24k
10.58k (x0.94)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
5.03k
4.87k (x0.97)
Test#1 (Memory)
5.02k
4.2k (x0.84)
TOTAL
25.8k
23.88k (x0.93)

Multithread

i7-4790

i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
15.72k
7.7k (x0.49)
Test#2 (FP)
54.99k
27.14k (x0.49)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
23.87k
11.48k (x0.48)
Test#1 (Memory)
5.48k
2.68k (x0.49)
TOTAL
100.06k
49k (x0.49)

SSE3 optimized benchmark
The benchmark in mode I (SSE) is optimized for the use of SIMD instructions with 128 bits register and the SSE set up to version 3. Nearly every modern CPU has support for this mode.
Monothread
i7-4790
i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
13.52k
13.1k (x0.97)
Test#2 (FP)
11.94k
11.68k (x0.98)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
4.96k
5.07k (x1.02)
Test#1 (Memory)
4.84k
4.19k (x0.87)
TOTAL
35.25k
34.04k (x0.97)

Multithread

i7-4790

i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
54.7k
25.81k (x0.47)
Test#2 (FP)
52.41k
25k (x0.48)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
24.5k
11.96k (x0.49)
Test#1 (Memory)
6.77k
3.87k (x0.57)
TOTAL
138.37k
66.65k (x0.48)

AVX optimized benchmark
The benchmark in mode II (AVX) is optimized to used 256 bits registers beside the first version of the Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX). The first AVX compatible CPU was released in 2011.
Monothread
i7-4790
i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
14.07k
13.24k (x0.94)
Test#2 (FP)
12.63k
12.37k (x0.98)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
5.35k
5.11k (x0.95)
Test#1 (Memory)
4.98k
4.17k (x0.84)
TOTAL
37.03k
34.89k (x0.94)

Multithread

i7-4790

i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
57.88k
28.15k (x0.49)
Test#2 (FP)
60.83k
29.95k (x0.49)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
24.4k
11.84k (x0.49)
Test#1 (Memory)
6.95k
2.73k (x0.39)
TOTAL
150.07k
72.68k (x0.48)

AVX2 optimized benchmark
The benchmark in mode III (AVX2), like AVX1, is optimized to used 256 bits registers beside the second version of the Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX). The first AVX2 compatible CPU was released in 2013.
Monothread
i7-4790
i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
22.19k
22.17k (x1)
Test#2 (FP)
12.45k
12.58k (x1.01)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
5.11k
5.09k (x1)
Test#1 (Memory)
4.98k
4.4k (x0.88)
TOTAL
44.73k
44.24k (x0.99)

Multithread

i7-4790

i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
87.14k
47k (x0.54)
Test#2 (FP)
58k
31.06k (x0.54)
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
22.75k
11.96k (x0.53)
Test#1 (Memory)
6k
2.68k (x0.45)
TOTAL
173.89k
92.71k (x0.53)

Performance/W
i7-4790
i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
1037 points/W
870 points/W
Test#2 (FP)
691 points/W
575 points/W
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
271 points/W
222 points/W
Test#1 (Memory)
71 points/W
50 points/W
TOTAL
2070 points/W
1717 points/W

Performance/GHz
i7-4790
i3-4170
Test#1 (Integers)
5547 points/GHz
5991 points/GHz
Test#2 (FP)
3113 points/GHz
3401 points/GHz
Test#3 (Generic, ZIP)
1279 points/GHz
1375 points/GHz
Test#1 (Memory)
1244 points/GHz
1189 points/GHz
TOTAL
11183 points/GHz
11956 points/GHz

Monothread performance graph
Monothread performance graphics gives the performance vs time. They are useful to measure the time it takes to the CPU to reach the maximum performance.

Usually, CPU's performance will be steady during these tests but if it has a slow frequency strategy, the first samples will show a lower score.


Test#1 (Integers) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com


Test#2 (FP) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com


Test#3 (Generic, ZIP) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com


Test#1 (Memory) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com

Multithread performance graph
Multithread graphs measure the performance against a heavy load during certain time.

If CPU's TDP doesn't limit the frequency and the machine is properly cooled, performance should remain steady vs time. Otherwise, the performance score will oscillate or decrease over time.


Test#1 (Integers) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com


Test#2 (FP) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com


Test#3 (Generic, ZIP) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com


Test#1 (Memory) [points vs time]

grafica bm.hardlimit.com

Hardlimit Benchmark Central - Ver. 3.11.4