i7 4770 vs i7 4790 – Which is worth buying?

In this article, I am doing a comparison of the technical characteristics between the processors, with the Intel Core i7-4790 on one side and the Intel Core i7-4770 on the other side. The first is dedicated to the desktop sector, It has 4 cores, 8 threads, a maximum frequency of 4.0GHz. The second is used on the desktop segment, it has a total of 4 cores, 8 threads, its turbo frequency is set to 3.9 GHz.

I will make a comparison table below which compares the lithography, the number of transistors (if indicated), the amount of cache memory, the maximum RAM memory capacity, the type of memory accepted, the release date, the maximum number of PCIe lanes, the values obtained in Geekbench 4 and Cinebench R15.

The I7 4790 is a direct upgrade / latest version of the I7 4770 however, the price is also different while the performance bonus may not be worth paying the extra money, perhaps the I7 4770 may even outperform the I7 4790 in particular scenarios, I have tested both of them in similar situations & builds in a large variety of environments.

Table of Contents

Intel core i74770 Processor

The Intel Core i7-4770K is a high-end quad-core processor for desktops and the successor of the i7-3770K. It is based on the Haswell architecture and has been launched in Q2/2013. Due to Hyperthreading, the four cores can handle up to eight threads in parallel leading to better utilization of the CPU.

Each core offers a base speed of 3.5 GHz but can dynamically increase clock rates with Turbo Boost up to 3.7 GHz (for 4 active cores), 3.8 GHz (for 2 active cores), and 3.9 GHz (for 1 active core). Furthermore, the Extreme CPUs offer an unlocked multiplicator for easy over.

Intel Core i7-4790 Processor

The Intel Core i7-4790 is a high-end quad-core desktop processor using the Haswell architecture. It clocks at 3.6 – 4 GHz and can run 8 threads at once thanks to HyperThreading. Compared to the similar named Core i7-4790K, the 4790 clocks a bit lower and offers no open multiplier for overclocking. The TDP is rated at 84 Watt and therefore suited for Desktop-PCs and large laptops.

The Intel Core i7-4790K is a high-end quad-core desktop processor using the Haswell architecture. It was announced in the second quarter of 2014 and was the top model of the 4000 series consumer processors. Compared to the Core i7-4770K, the 4790K offers 500 MHz more base and turbo clock speed and reaches 4.4 GHz.

Specification	Intel Core i7 4770	Intel Core i7 4790
Brand	Intel	Intel
Market (main)	Desktop	Desktop
ISA	x86-64 (64 bit)	x86-64 (64 bit)
Microarchitecture	Haswell	Haswell
Core name	Haswell-DT	Haswell-DT
Family	Core i7-4000	Core i7-4000
Part number(s), S-Spec	BX80646I74790, BXC80646I74790, CM8064601560113, SR1QF, QF4D	BX80646I74770, BXC80646I74770, CM8064601464303, SR149
Release date	Q2 2014	Q2 2013
Lithography	22 nm	22 nm
Transistors	1,400,000,000	1,400,000,000
Threads	8	8
Cores	4	4
Base frequency	3.6 GHz	3.4 GHz
Turbo frequency	4.0 GHz	3.9 GHz
Bus speed	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
Cache memory	8 MB	8 MB
Max memory capacity	32 GB	32 GB
Compatible Sockets	FCLGA1150	FCLGA1150

Similarities

Release Time: Both the Core i7-4790 4-Core 3.6GHz and the Core i7-4770 4-Core 3.4GHz were released at the same time, so are likely to be quite similar.
Powerful Performance: Both CPUs exhibit very powerful performance, so it probably isn’t worth upgrading from one to the other, as both are capable of running even the most demanding games at the highest settings (assuming they are accompanied by equivalently powerful GPUs).
4 Cores: The Core i7-4790 4-Core and the Core i7-4770 4-Core both have 4 cores, which is not likely to be a limiting factor for gaming.
Same Number Of Threads: Both the Intel Core i7-4790 4-Core 3.6GHz and the Intel Core i7-4770 4-Core 3.4GHz have the same number of threads.
Hyperthreading: Both the Core i7-4790 4-Core and the Core i7-4770 4-Core use hyperthreading. The Core i7-4790 4-Core has 2 logical threads per physical core and the Core i7-4770 4-Core has 2.
Cache Size: The Core i7-4790 4-Core and the Core i7-4770 4-Core have the same L2 cache size, and the same L3 cache size, so in terms of cache-related gaming performance, we have to look back to the clock rate, where the Core i7-4790 4-Core wins out.
TDP of 84 Watts: Both the Core i7-4790 4-Core and the Core i7-4770 4-Core have the same TDP of 84 Watts, and were created with the same manufacturing size of 22 nm, which means they will affect your yearly electricity bill about equally.
Onboard GPU: The Core i7-4790 4-Core and the Core i7-4770 4-Core both have an on-board GPU, which means that they will be capable of running basic graphics applications (i.e., games) without the need for a dedicated graphics card.

The Core i7-4790 4-Core and the Core i7-4770 4-Core are from the same family of CPUs, and thus their clock speeds are directly comparable. With this in mind, it is safe to say that with a 0.2 GHz faster base clock rate, the Core i7-4790 4-Core manages to provide slightly better performance than the Core i7-4770 4-Core.

What is more, the Core i7-4790 4-Core also manages to eke 0.1 GHz higher frequency when being stressed by CPU-intensive applications.

Gaming Performance

In terms of overall gaming performance, the Intel Core i7-4790 4-Core 3.6GHz is very slightly better than the Intel Core i7-4770 4-Core 3.4GHz when it comes to running the latest games. This also means it will be less likely to bottleneck more powerful GPUs, allowing them to achieve more of their gaming performance potential.

Intel Core i7-4770 Pros And Cons

Pros

Intel’s latest architecture adds new features. Improved performance.
Better performance and graphics for the same price as Ivy Bridge.
Fastest quad-core consumer chip in the world.
Better temperatures than the Ivy Bridge series.

Cons

Draws slightly more power than previous designs.
Less headroom for overclocking.

Intel Core i7-4790 Pros And Cons

Pros

This version, like its predecessor the i7-4771, gets a 100 MHz bump in stock frequency and additionally the i7-4790 also gets a 100 MHz turbo frequency bump.
The Intel Core i7-4790 averaged 23.6% lower than the peak scores attained by the group leaders. This is an excellent result which ranks the Intel Core i7-4790 near the top of the comparison list.
The graphics performance of this processor is higher.
The multi-threaded performance of the Intel i7-4790 is higher.

Cons

Average multi-tasking performance against the competition.
Relatively old.

To Sum Up

Intel’s Core i7-4790K is the high-end Haswell-based processor for enthusiasts who liked last year’s 4770K CPU but weren’t satisfied with its modest performance improvements.

The Intel Core i7-4770K, based on Intel’s Haswell microarchitecture, is a great chip if you need an upgrade, but performance gains are modest.

I’ve reached the conclusion that after this I7 4770 vs I7 4790 comparison we would rather get the I7 4790 because since the price is exactly the same, there’s no reason not to get it even if it’s only a 3% difference between them. Either way, both of them are high performing CPUs, and both of them are a safe purchase if you are looking for high-quality & high performing CPUs.

FAQ’s

Is the i7 4770 good for gaming?

The i7–4770k, although a little old, is a great choice for gaming, boasting 4 cores at a base clock of 3500Mhz.

Is i7 4770 good for video editing?

With Video editing CPU performance and system ram will matter the most so yes you will see a nice performance jump on the new system. You got that covered good with the 4770 and 16GB of ram but as far as Photoshop 3d, the requirements say any GPU with at least 512MB of ram or more is required. The onboard GPU on the 4770 CPU will work but it will share with the system ram, just like any onboard video solution does.

How many threads does i7-4770 have?

The Intel Core i7-4770 is a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in June 2013. It is part of the Core i7 lineup, using the Haswell architecture with Socket 1150. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core count is effectively doubled, to 8 threads. Core i7-4770 has 8MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.4 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.9 GHz, depending on the workload.

Is a i7 better than an i5?

Intel Core i7 processors are typically faster and more capable than Core i5 CPUs. The latest i7 chips offer up to six cores and 12 threads, making them better suited for advanced multitasking.