Core i5-4690S
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FX-8320
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Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
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 i5-4690S
2014Why buy it
- ✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
- ✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than FX-8320 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.9 vs 32.4 PassMark/$ ($306 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike FX-8320.
FX-8320
2012Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +18.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅Costs $137 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $306 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 80.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 32.4 vs 17.9 PassMark/$ ($169 MSRP vs $306 MSRP).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-4690S.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (5,472 vs 5,476).
- ❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
Core i5-4690S
2014FX-8320
2012Why buy it
- ✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
- ✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +18.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅Costs $137 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $306 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 80.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 32.4 vs 17.9 PassMark/$ ($169 MSRP vs $306 MSRP).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-4690S.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than FX-8320 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.9 vs 32.4 PassMark/$ ($306 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike FX-8320.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (5,472 vs 5,476).
- ❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
Quick Answers
So, is Core i5-4690S better than FX-8320?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Games Benchmarks
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.
Path of Exile 2
| Preset | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 111 FPS | 118 FPS |
| ultra | 88 FPS | 98 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 117 FPS | 120 FPS |
| high | 92 FPS | 95 FPS |
| ultra | 73 FPS | 77 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 65 FPS | 65 FPS |
| medium | 57 FPS | 58 FPS |
| high | 45 FPS | 45 FPS |
| ultra | 35 FPS | 36 FPS |
Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 117 FPS | 137 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 136 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 125 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 104 FPS | 137 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 123 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 110 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 92 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 70 FPS | 120 FPS |
League of Legends
| Preset | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
Valorant
| Preset | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
| ultra | 137 FPS | 137 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-4690S and FX-8320
Core i5-4690S
Core i5-4690S
The Core i5-4690S 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 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 5,476 points. Launch price was $224.
FX-8320
FX-8320
The FX-8320 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Vishera (2012−2015) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L2 cache: 8192 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,472 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i5-4690S packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the FX-8320 offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the FX-8320 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i5-4690S versus 4 GHz on the FX-8320 — a 2.5% clock advantage for the FX-8320 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-4690S uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the FX-8320 uses Vishera (2012−2015) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-4690S scores 5,476 against the FX-8320's 5,472 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i5-4690S.
| Feature | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 8 / 8+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz | 4 GHz+3% |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.5 GHz+9% |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 8192 kB+3100% |
| Process | 22 nm-31% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Vishera (2012−2015) |
| PassMark | 5,476 | 5,472 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 4,500 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 458 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,791 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-4690S uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the FX-8320 uses AM3+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1150 | AM3+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | No |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-4690S) / AMD-V (FX-8320). Primary use case: FX-8320 targets Productivity. Direct competitor: FX-8320 rivals Core i5-3570.
| Feature | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Productivity |
Value Analysis
The Core i5-4690S launched at $306 MSRP, while the FX-8320 debuted at $169. On MSRP ($306 vs $169), the FX-8320 is $137 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-4690S delivers 17.9 pts/$ vs 32.4 pts/$ for the FX-8320 — making the FX-8320 the 57.6% better value option.
| Feature | Core i5-4690S | FX-8320 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $306 | $169-45% |
| Performance per Dollar | 17.9 | 32.4+81% |
| Release Date | 2014 | 2012 |
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