Intel BX80646I54590S

The i5-4590S is a cheap, low-power quad-core that still handles basic desktop work fine. It's a solid value at 45 bucks in the US, but the EUR pricing varies wildly from 83 to 201. Buy it to revive an old LGA 1150 system, not to build anything new.

Four Haswell cores at 3.7GHz boost still handle everyday tasks fine. Our database puts single-thread performance right around the middle of the pack, which means web browsing, office apps, and light photo work feel responsive. Multi-thread is where it shows its age, landing in the bottom 40% of CPUs we track. The 6MB of L3 cache helps, but this isn't a rendering or streaming workhorse. The integrated HD 4600 graphics are fine for desktop use and old games, but don't expect 4K playback to be smooth or any modern gaming beyond potato settings.

Against something like the Ryzen 5 7600, this chip gets absolutely smoked in every metric that matters. But that's not a fair fight, the Ryzen costs several times more and needs a new motherboard and DDR5. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is a closer vintage competitor, but it's a server pull with different socket needs. The Phenom II X6 is even older and slower. For the specific job of upgrading an existing LGA 1150 system, the 4590S is one of the better cheap options out there, especially if you value the lower 65W TDP over raw clock speed.

At 45 bucks in the US, this is a no-brainer if you've got an old LGA 1150 board sitting around. The EUR pricing is all over the place though, ranging from 83 to 201 depending on which vendor you hit. If you're in Europe, shop around because that spread is wild. The CAD and GBP listings are less tempting at 175 and 144 respectively. For the money, you're getting a capable quad-core with a cooler included, which beats buying a whole new platform if you just need to revive an old machine.

The Core i5-4590S is a Haswell-era quad-core that's still kicking around on the used market for dirt cheap. It's a 65W part with a 3.0GHz base and 3.7GHz turbo, which was a solid mid-range pick back in 2014. Today it's more of a budget rescue chip for old LGA 1150 boards.

It comes with the boxed cooler, which is a nice touch for a used CPU. The 'S' suffix means lower power draw than the regular i5-4590, but you give up some clock speed for that efficiency. Fine trade if you're building a quiet office box or a cheap home server.

Skip this if you're building a new system from scratch. The LGA 1150 platform is dead, DDR3 is old news, and you'd be better off putting that money toward a modern budget build. Also skip it if you need any kind of multi-threaded muscle for video editing, streaming, or modern gaming. The integrated graphics won't do 4K, and the four threads run out of steam fast.

This is a rescue chip, not an upgrade path. If you've got an old Haswell board and a dead or weaker CPU, the 4590S is a cheap way to squeeze a few more years out of that system. It's perfect for an office PC, a media box, or a kid's first computer. Just don't expect it to compete with anything modern.