Core i7-4790 vs Core i7-6920HQ

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 i7-4790 vs Core i7-6920HQ 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 i7-4790 vs Core i7-6920HQ: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-4790

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,263 vs 7,269).
❌Launch MSRP is still $339 MSRP, while Core i7-6920HQ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌8300% higher power demand at 84W vs 1W.

Core i7-6920HQ

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 1W instead of 84W, a 83W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-4790 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-6920HQ better than Core i7-4790?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-4790 is ahead with a 13.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6920HQ 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 i7-6920HQ 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 i7-6920HQ is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core i7-6920HQ comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $339 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Core i7-4790 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2014 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (21.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i7-6920HQ makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2014) 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 i7-4790 vs Core i7-6920HQ Technical Specifications

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

Core i7-4790

The Core i7-4790 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 84 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 7,263 points. Launch price was $303.

Core i7-6920HQ

The Core i7-6920HQ 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 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 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: 7,269 points. Launch price was $568.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-4790 and Core i7-6920HQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i7-4790 versus 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-6920HQ — a 5.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-4790 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i7-4790 uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-6920HQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4790 scores 7,263 against the Core i7-6920HQ's 7,269 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-6920HQ. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4790 vs 8 MB on the Core i7-6920HQ.

Feature	Core i7-4790	Core i7-6920HQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4 GHz+5%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+24%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+25500%	1 MB
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	7,263	7,269

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4790 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6920HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.