Core i7-2600S
VS
Core i5-4690T

Core i7-2600S vs Core i5-4690T

Intel

Core i7-2600S

4 Cores8 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2011
VS
Intel

Core i5-4690T

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2014

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 i7-2600S is positioned at rank 889 and the Core i5-4690T is on rank 704, so the Core i5-4690T 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 i7-2600S

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
19969%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
18869%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
13700%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
4127%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
3269%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
2860%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1638%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1617%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1472%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1472%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1455%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1416%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1396%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1391%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1378%
#299
Core i9-7980XE
MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300
95%
#889
Core i7-2600S
MSRP: $297|Avg: $99
100%
#890
Athlon II X2 250e
MSRP: $77|Avg: $15
100%
#891
Athlon II X2 250u
MSRP: $60|Avg: $15
100%
#892
Pentium G6951
MSRP: $89|Avg: $50
100%
#893
Core i3-2125
MSRP: $134|Avg: $15
100%
#895
Celeron G1820
MSRP: $110|Avg: $15
99%
#896
Celeron E1600
MSRP: $53|Avg: $10
99%
#897
Athlon II X2 270u
MSRP: $68|Avg: $10
98%
#898
Core i5-4570TE
MSRP: $202|Avg: $40
98%
#899
Core i3-2130
MSRP: $138|Avg: $138
96%
#902
Core i3-6100E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $50
94%
#903
Core i3-4330TE
MSRP: $138|Avg: $15
94%
#904
Pentium E5700
MSRP: $75|Avg: $15
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4690T

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
12956%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
12242%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
8889%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
2678%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2121%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1856%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1063%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1049%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
955%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
955%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
944%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
919%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
906%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
902%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
894%
#391
Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
MSRP: $1299|Avg: $1300
99%
#704
Core i5-4690T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $98
100%
#705
Core i5-4430S
MSRP: $182|Avg: $90
100%
#706
Core i5-4440S
MSRP: $182|Avg: $30
100%
#709
Core i3-4360T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $40
99%
#711
Core i5-3470S
MSRP: $184|Avg: $37
99%
#712
Core i5-4670T
MSRP: $189|Avg: $35
99%
#713
Core i5-2400S
MSRP: $135|Avg: $10
98%
#714
Pentium G3420
MSRP: $86|Avg: $40
98%
#715
Core i5-6500
MSRP: $239|Avg: $123
97%
#716
Core i7-4770T
MSRP: $250|Avg: $39
97%
#717
Core i3-4340
MSRP: $149|Avg: $50
97%
#718
Core i5-4690K
MSRP: $243|Avg: $101
97%
#719
Core i5-4670R
MSRP: $224|Avg: $29
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-2600S delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-4690T in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i7-2600SCore i5-4690T
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($99)
More affordable ($98)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core i5-4690T holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $98 (vs $99), it costs 1% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 1% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i7-2600S.
InsightCore i7-2600SCore i5-4690T
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+1%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($99)
More affordable ($98)

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 i7-2600S and Core i5-4690T

Intel

Core i7-2600S

The Core i7-2600S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,637 points. Launch price was $210.

Intel

Core i5-4690T

The Core i5-4690T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,620 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

The Core i7-2600S packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Core i5-4690T's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-2600S versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-4690T — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-2600S (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-2600S uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-4690T uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-2600S scores 4,637 against the Core i5-4690T's 4,620 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i7-2600S. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Core i7-2600S vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-4690T.

FeatureCore i7-2600SCore i5-4690T
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.8 GHz+9%
3.5 GHz
Base Clock
2.8 GHz+12%
2.5 GHz
L3 Cache
8192 kB (total)+33%
6 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
32 nm
22 nm-31%
Architecture
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark
4,637
4,620
Geekbench 6 Single
630
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-2600S uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-4690T uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-2600SCore i5-4690T
Socket
LGA1155
LGA1150
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-2600S) / not specified (Core i5-4690T). The Core i7-2600S includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 2000), while the Core i5-4690T requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-2600S targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i7-2600S rivals Phenom II X4 910e.

FeatureCore i7-2600SCore i5-4690T
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 2000
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Low Power Desktop
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-2600S launched at $297 MSRP, while the Core i5-4690T debuted at $192. At current prices ($99 vs $98), the Core i5-4690T is $1 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-2600S delivers 46.8 pts/$ vs 47.1 pts/$ for the Core i5-4690T — making the Core i5-4690T the 0.6% better value option.

FeatureCore i7-2600SCore i5-4690T
MSRP
$297
$192-35%
Avg Price (30d)
$99
$98-1%
Performance per Dollar
46.8
47.1
Release Date
2011
2014