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Intel

Intel Core i5-4690K

Released Jun 10, 2014$242 launch priceDesktop Processor

The Devil's Canyon i5 and the last unlocked quad-core i5 for LGA1150: 3.5-3.9 GHz stock, with the improved thermal interface material and extra package capacitors that let it hold higher overclocks than the 4670K at the same temperature.

Pros

  • Devil's Canyon polymer TIM runs materially cooler than the 4670K, so 4.4-4.6 GHz on air is realistic
  • 100 MHz higher base and turbo than the 4670K for the same launch price
  • VT-d and TSX are restored, which the earlier 4670K lacked
  • AVX2/FMA3 plus PCIe 3.0 x16 and HD Graphics 4600
  • Z97 boards it targets are the most feature-complete of the socket, often with M.2 slots

Cons

  • Still four cores and four threads — the single biggest limitation in 2026 workloads
  • 88 W base power and it draws far more once overclocked; needs a real tower cooler
  • Overclocking requires a Z87 (with a BIOS update) or Z97 board
  • DDR3-1600 and 32 GB maximum memory
23.7Inno Score

Below average

Computed from specs & benchmarks via our public methodology.

Single-core24.4
Multi-core23.3
Gaming23.8

Full specifications

Everything we track for the Intel Core i5-4690K

General

Announced
2014
Socket
LGA1150
Process
22 nm
Base TDP
88 W
Unlocked multiplier
Yes
Cooler included
Yes

Cores & Clocks

Cores
4
Performance cores
4
Efficiency cores
0
Threads
4
Base clock
3.5 GHz
Boost clock
3.9 GHz
L2 cache
1 MB
L3 cache
6 MB

Integrated GPU

iGPU
Intel HD Graphics 4600
iGPU clock
1,200 MHz

Memory

Memory support
DDR3-1600
Max memory
32 GB
Memory channels
2

Platform

PCIe version
3
CPU PCIe lanes
16

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (single)
1,160
Geekbench 6 (multi)
3,000
Cinebench R23 (single)
1,020
Cinebench R23 (multi)
3,700
PassMark
6,100

Quick answers

Is the Intel Core i5-4690K good in 2026?

The Intel Core i5-4690K earns an Inno Score of 23.7/100 (“Below average”) based on its specs and benchmark results. The Devil's Canyon i5 and the last unlocked quad-core i5 for LGA1150: 3.5-3.9 GHz stock, with the improved thermal interface material and extra package capacitors that let it hold higher overclocks than the 4670K at the same temperature.

What are the key specs of the Intel Core i5-4690K?

Cores: 4 · Threads: 4 · Boost clock: 3.9 GHz · Socket: LGA1150

What are the closest alternatives to the Intel Core i5-4690K?

Its closest rivals on InnoReviews are Intel Core i7-3770, Intel Core i5-6500, Intel Core i3-8100 — open the comparison pages for a spec-by-spec breakdown.