Core i5-4278U
VS
Pentium G4500

Core i5-4278U vs Pentium G4500

Intel

Core i5-4278U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2014
VS
Intel

Pentium G4500

2 Cores2 Thrd51 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2015

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4278U

#714
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1038%
#715
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1023%
#716
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
939%
#717
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
935%
#718
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
926%
#720
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
895%
#721
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
858%
#722
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
856%
#723
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
833%
#726
Core i5-4278U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium G4500

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
8350%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
7890%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
5729%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
1726%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
1367%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1196%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
685%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
676%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
616%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
615%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
609%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
592%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
584%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
582%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
576%
#374
Core i9-13900TE
MSRP: $554|Avg: $554
100%
#375
Ryzen Embedded V2546
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
97%
#376
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $1399
95%
#527
Pentium G4500
MSRP: $75|Avg: $34
100%
#528
Athlon X4 740
MSRP: $71|Avg: $71
100%
#529
Xeon E5-2608L v4
MSRP: $363|Avg: $174
100%
#531
Celeron G1610
MSRP: $42|Avg: $5
99%
#532
Core i3-7100
MSRP: $117|Avg: $40
99%
#533
Celeron G1620T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $15
98%
#536
Pentium G4400T
MSRP: $64|Avg: $75
97%
#539
Athlon X4 850
MSRP: $77|Avg: $20
96%
#541
FX-6350
MSRP: $132|Avg: $55
94%
#542
Celeron G470
MSRP: $35|Avg: $10
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium G4500 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i5-4278U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.9% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore i5-4278UPentium 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

InsightCore i5-4278UPentium G4500
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($34)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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

Intel

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.

Intel

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.

FeatureCore i5-4278UPentium 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.

FeatureCore i5-4278UPentium 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.

FeatureCore i5-4278UPentium G4500
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel Iris Graphics 5100
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
true