Core i7-4790K vs Core i7-10810U

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i7-4790K

2014

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 4600, while Core i7-10810U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10810U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $350 MSRP, while Core i7-10810U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌252% higher power demand at 88W vs 25W.

Core i7-10810U

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 25W instead of 88W, a 63W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,987 vs 8,063).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-4790K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-4790K

2014

Core i7-10810U

2020

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 4600, while Core i7-10810U needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 25W instead of 88W, a 63W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10810U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $350 MSRP, while Core i7-10810U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌252% higher power demand at 88W vs 25W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,987 vs 8,063).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-4790K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-10810U better than Core i7-4790K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-10810U is ahead with a 4.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-4790K pulls ahead with 1% better PassMark. Core i7-10810U also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-4790K is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core i7-10810U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i7-10810U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $350 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-4790K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2014 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (23.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1150.

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

Core i7-10810U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2014) and 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Core i7-4790K Benchmark Check

Core i7-10810U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-4790K	Core i7-10810U
1080p
low	176 FPS	200 FPS
medium	147 FPS	200 FPS
high	118 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	185 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	200 FPS
medium	123 FPS	189 FPS
high	99 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	164 FPS
medium	72 FPS	133 FPS
high	57 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i7-4790K Open Core i7-10810U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-4790K	Core i7-10810U
1080p
low	202 FPS	200 FPS
medium	202 FPS	185 FPS
high	202 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	150 FPS
1440p
low	202 FPS	194 FPS
medium	202 FPS	162 FPS
high	192 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	188 FPS	163 FPS
medium	165 FPS	137 FPS
high	144 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	109 FPS

Open Core i7-4790K Open Core i7-10810U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-4790K	Core i7-10810U
1080p
low	202 FPS	200 FPS
medium	202 FPS	200 FPS
high	202 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	200 FPS
1440p
low	202 FPS	200 FPS
medium	202 FPS	200 FPS
high	202 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	200 FPS
4K
low	202 FPS	200 FPS
medium	202 FPS	200 FPS
high	202 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	200 FPS

Open Core i7-4790K Open Core i7-10810U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-4790K	Core i7-10810U
1080p
low	202 FPS	200 FPS
medium	202 FPS	200 FPS
high	202 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	200 FPS
1440p
low	202 FPS	200 FPS
medium	202 FPS	200 FPS
high	202 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	200 FPS
4K
low	202 FPS	200 FPS
medium	202 FPS	200 FPS
high	202 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	200 FPS

Open Core i7-4790K Open Core i7-10810U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-4790K and Core i7-10810U

Core i7-4790K

The Core i7-4790K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Junho 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Devil's Canyon architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 88 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,063 points. Launch price was $339.

Core i7-10810U

The Core i7-10810U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,987 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-4790K packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-10810U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-10810U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i7-4790K versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-10810U — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-10810U (base: 4 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i7-4790K uses the Devil's Canyon architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-10810U uses Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4790K scores 8,063 against the Core i7-10810U's 7,987 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i7-4790K. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4790K vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-10810U.

Feature	Core i7-4790K	Core i7-10810U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.9 GHz+11%
Base Clock	4 GHz+264%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	12 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Devil's Canyon	Comet Lake-U (2019−2020)
PassMark	8,063	7,987

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4790K uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-10810U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.