The Intel Core i5-4570 ($202) is a midrange CPU, priced for the builder who's putting together a moderately powerful PC but doesn't want to shell out the money for a more expensive Core i7 processor. If you want enough horsepower to edit home movies or touch up pictures in Photoshop, the Core i5-4570 is a nice middle ground option between the likes of Intel's top performing (and more expensive) Core i7-4770K and less expensive options like AMD's "accelerated processing units" (APUs, AMD's combined CPUs and graphics processors).

But while the CPU offered general performance on par with the Core i7-4770K, it doesn't have the same Hyper-Threading support or overclocking options, while its 84-watt power-consumption rating remains the same as the more expensive chip.

Intel has also stepped up its game in the graphics department, with the integrated GPU (Intel HD Graphics 4600) supporting modern game titles at low settings. Despite the improvements, AMD still has the upper hand when it comes to pushing pixels, offering better graphics processing when comparing similarly priced processors. Even then, the bump in performance isn't a sure thing; AMD's APUs require the fastest possible RAM to achieve their maximum frame rates.

But while the graphics tests favor the AMD processors, performance is all Intel. As stated above, the Core i5 can pull its weight alongside a Core i7 in most tasks. If you're focused entirely on performance or if processing time is money, the Core i7-4770K may be the better choice, but if you need most of that processing power while staying in your budget, the Core i5-4570 is a prime pick.

For more details, check out the Intel Core i5-4570 review on our sister site, Computer Shopper.