
Core i5-4278U vs Pentium G4500

Core i5-4278U

Pentium G4500
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i5-4278U is positioned at rank 726 and the Pentium G4500 is on rank 527, so the Pentium G4500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4278U
Performance Per Dollar Pentium G4500
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i5-4278U | Pentium G4500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($34) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i5-4278U | Pentium G4500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($34) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-4278U and Pentium G4500

Core i5-4278U
The Core i5-4278U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 July 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,826 points. Launch price was $315.

Pentium G4500
The Pentium G4500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,800 points. Launch price was $82.
Processing Power
The Core i5-4278U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Pentium G4500's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Core i5-4278U versus 3.5 GHz on the Pentium G4500 — a 12.1% clock advantage for the Pentium G4500 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-4278U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium G4500 uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-4278U scores 2,826 against the Pentium G4500's 2,800 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i5-4278U. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-4278U vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium G4500.
| Feature | Core i5-4278U | Pentium G4500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.1 GHz | 3.5 GHz+13% |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz | 3.5 GHz+35% |
| L3 Cache | 3 MB | 4 MB (total)+33% |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB+100% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 2,826 | 2,800 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 1,688 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 889 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,860 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-4278U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium G4500 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-4278U | Pentium G4500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | LGA1151 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 12 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: true (Core i5-4278U) / not specified (Pentium G4500). The Core i5-4278U includes integrated graphics (Intel Iris Graphics 5100), while the Pentium G4500 requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Core i5-4278U | Pentium G4500 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Intel Iris Graphics 5100 | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | true | — |
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