Core i7-3770T vs Core i5-4590

The Core i7-3770T packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Core i5-4590's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-3770T versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i5-4590 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-3770T uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-4590 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3770T scores 5,403 against the Core i5-4590's 5,376 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-3770T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 850 vs 1,100, a 25.6% lead for the Core i5-4590 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Core i7-3770T vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-4590.

The Core i7-3770T uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-4590 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. Chipset compatibility: H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,H77,Z75,Z77 (Core i7-3770T) and H81,B85,Q85,H87,Q87,Z87,H97,Z97 (Core i5-4590).

Virtualization support: Yes (Core i7-3770T) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-4590). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Core i7-3770T) and HD Graphics 4600 (Core i5-4590) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4590 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-4590 rivals FX-8350.

The Core i7-3770T launched at $278 MSRP, while the Core i5-4590 debuted at $192. At current prices ($105 vs $51), the Core i5-4590 is $54 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-3770T delivers 51.5 pts/$ vs 105.4 pts/$ for the Core i5-4590 — making the Core i5-4590 the 68.8% better value option.