Core i7-4770HQ vs Pentium Gold 8500

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.

Core i7-4770HQ vs Pentium Gold 8500 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-4770HQ vs Pentium Gold 8500: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-4770HQ

2014

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Pro Graphics 5200, while Pentium Gold 8500 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌62.1% higher power demand at 47W vs 29W.
❌Older platform position on BGA1364, while Pentium Gold 8500 moves to FCBGA1781 and DDR5.

Pentium Gold 8500

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 29W instead of 47W, a 18W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1781 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1364 and older memory support.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (5,949 vs 6,028).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-4770HQ can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold 8500 better than Core i7-4770HQ?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium Gold 8500 is ahead with a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-4770HQ pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-4770HQ is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium Gold 8500 still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Gold 8500 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium Gold 8500 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2014) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1781 and DDR5 instead of BGA1364. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core i7-4770HQ vs Pentium Gold 8500 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i7-4770HQ

The Core i7-4770HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 July 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,028 points. Launch price was $434.

Pentium Gold 8500

The Pentium Gold 8500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Max frequency: 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1781. Thermal design power (TDP): 29 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5-5200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 5,949 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-4770HQ packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Pentium Gold 8500 offers 5 cores / 6 threads — the Pentium Gold 8500 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-4770HQ versus 4.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 8500 — a 25.6% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold 8500. The Core i7-4770HQ is built on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-4770HQ scores 6,028 against the Pentium Gold 8500's 5,949 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i7-4770HQ. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4770HQ vs 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Pentium Gold 8500.

Feature	Core i7-4770HQ	Pentium Gold 8500
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	5 / 6+25%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	4.4 GHz+29%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	—
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	22 nm	Intel 7 nm-68%
Architecture	Crystalwell (2013−2014)	—
PassMark	6,028+1%	5,949
Cinebench R23 Multi	3,249	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4770HQ uses the BGA1364 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold 8500 uses FCBGA1781 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-4770HQ	Pentium Gold 8500
Socket	BGA1364	FCBGA1781
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-4770HQ) / not specified (Pentium Gold 8500). The Core i7-4770HQ includes integrated graphics (Iris Pro Graphics 5200), while the Pentium Gold 8500 requires a dedicated GPU.