Core i5-6300HQ vs Core i5-4430

Both the Core i5-6300HQ and Core i5-4430 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-6300HQ versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-4430 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-6300HQ uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-4430 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-6300HQ scores 4,672 against the Core i5-4430's 4,653 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i5-6300HQ. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,000 vs 1,015, a 1.5% lead for the Core i5-4430 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i5-6300HQ vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-4430.

The Core i5-6300HQ uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-4430 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2133 on the Core i5-6300HQ versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i5-4430 — the Core i5-6300HQ supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-6300HQ supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM170,QM170 (Core i5-6300HQ) and H81,B85,H87,Z87,H97,Z97 (Core i5-4430).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 530 (Core i5-6300HQ) and HD Graphics 4600 (Core i5-4430) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6300HQ targets Gaming Laptop, Core i5-4430 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-6300HQ rivals A12-9730P; Core i5-4430 rivals FX-6300.