Intel Core i7 4900MQ  vs 4700MQ 

Having a laptop doesn't mean having to settle for a weaker processor: Intel’s Core i7 line for laptops were built so that you can have blazing fast mobile performance at your fingertips. But considering the steep price, is it worth the upgrade? For this matchup, we’re going to compare two of these mobile CPUs: the Intel Core i7 4900MQ versus the Intel Core i7 4700MQ.

These chips are under the MQ series, which means that they’re part of the Quad Core mobile product line. Given the higher model number of the 4900MQ, it’s obvious that it packs more features; however, they do have more than their fair share of similarities. Both are equipped with decent HD 4600 integrated graphics and consume a reasonable amount of power at 47W TDP. Additionally, they also pack turbo boost and hyperthreading, which essentially optimizes the use of each processor core.

Taking a closer look at their specs, you’ll see that the 4900MQ clocks in at 2.8 GHz with 8MB cache; in contrast is the much slower 4700MQ with 2.4 GHz and only 6 MB cache. It’s a clear advantage for the 4900MQ on paper, but how does their real world performance stack up?

Tests show that the 4900MQ is, on average, 15% faster in the PassMark and single core benchmarks. It only posted a 3% advantage in the 3DMark test, which is quite logical considering that they have the same integrated graphics chip. Considering their overall performance, the 4900MQ’s gains are only marginal and not really worth the steeper $200 price difference.

Wrapping up, only consider the Intel Core i7 4900MQ if you have really deep pockets and want to have the best configuration in your laptop. But overall, we recommend the solid price to performance ratio of Intel Core i7 4700MQ as the smarter choice.