Core i7-4770S vs Core i7-6820HQ

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 i7-4770S vs Core i7-6820HQ 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 i7-4770S vs Core i7-6820HQ: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-4770S

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,749 vs 6,758).
❌Launch MSRP is still $305 MSRP, while Core i7-6820HQ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Core i7-6820HQ

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-4770S across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-6820HQ better than Core i7-4770S?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-4770S is ahead with a 7.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6820HQ pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6820HQ is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core i7-6820HQ is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core i7-6820HQ comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $305 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Core i7-4770S only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2013 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (22.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1150.

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

Core i7-6820HQ makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2013) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-4770S vs Core i7-6820HQ Technical Specifications

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

Core i7-4770S

The Core i7-4770S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,749 points. Launch price was $329.

Core i7-6820HQ

The Core i7-6820HQ 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 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,758 points. Launch price was $378.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-4770S and Core i7-6820HQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-4770S versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-6820HQ — a 8% clock advantage for the Core i7-4770S (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i7-4770S uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-6820HQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4770S scores 6,749 against the Core i7-6820HQ's 6,758 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-6820HQ. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Core i7-4770S vs 8 MB on the Core i7-6820HQ.

Feature	Core i7-4770S	Core i7-6820HQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+8%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+15%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	8192 kB (total)	8 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1 MB+300%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	6,749	6,758

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4770S uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6820HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.