Core i5-3470S vs Core i5-4430S

Both the Core i5-3470S and Core i5-4430S share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-3470S versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-4430S — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-3470S (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i5-3470S uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-4430S uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-3470S scores 4,374 against the Core i5-4430S's 4,376 — a 0% lead for the Core i5-4430S. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-3470S vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-4430S.

The Core i5-3470S uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-4430S uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes.

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-3470S) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-4430S). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 2500 (Core i5-3470S) and HD Graphics 4600 (Core i5-4430S) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-3470S targets Desktop, Core i5-4430S targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i5-4430S rivals Ryzen 3 1200.

The Core i5-3470S launched at $184 MSRP, while the Core i5-4430S debuted at $182. At current prices ($37 vs $90), the Core i5-3470S is $53 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-3470S delivers 118.2 pts/$ vs 48.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-4430S — making the Core i5-3470S the 83.4% better value option.