Intel Core i5-4440 socket: LGA 1150

What the Core i5-4440 is

Intel Core i5-4440 is a quad core Haswell desktop part that Intel released in September 2013 for office desktops and small systems. It uses the Haswell core design on a 22 nm process, running at 3.1 GHz base with turbo to 3.3 GHz. The cache is 6 MB Smart Cache. Power is 84 W. Graphics come from Intel HD Graphics 4600 (350 MHz to 1100 MHz).

The cores have no Hyper-Threading, so threads equal cores at 4. The GT2 graphics block covers monitors and video without a separate card. The chip integrates the dual channel memory controller and 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes on die.

At 84 W the Core i5-4440 belongs to the standard power group for tower desktops. The clocks suit office multitasking, compilation and creative work with stock cooling. Boards pair it with DDR3 DIMMs and SATA SSDs. The How to find your CPU socket type guide shows how to confirm the socket before ordering parts.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Core i5-4440 fits LGA 1150 in LGA form with 1,150 lands. The chipsets built for the socket are the 8 and 9 series: H81, B85, Q85, Q87, H87, Z87, H97 and Z97. Any of them boots Haswell with a shipping BIOS. Server and workstation boards with C222 and C226 suit embedded duty where needed.

Power delivery at 84 W is modest for LGA 1150, so all desktop power designs cover it. Memory support decides more builds than power: the board manual lists qualified DIMM speeds. The CPU cooler compatibility by socket guide explains the 75 by 75 mm LGA 1150 pattern. Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works covers Intel pairing rules.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is ddr3-1333 and 1600, two channels, up to 32 gb. Two matched modules give the rated bandwidth. There is no DDR4 option, so a move to DDR4 means leaving the socket.

PCI Express is PCIe 3.0 with 16 lanes from the CPU for graphics and fast storage, plus chipset lanes for the rest. Most builds in this class stay on integrated graphics, since Intel HD Graphics 4600 covers office work and video. A low profile card of the era pairs without waste where a slot is free.

Cooling follows the 84 W rating. The stock cooler suits office loads, while a tower helps sustained turbo. The 75 by 75 mm mounting pattern is shared across LGA 1150, LGA 1155 and LGA 1156 coolers with the right brackets.

Upgrade paths

Within LGA 1150 the Core i5-4440 sits in the quad core i5 group. A same socket move can add threads, cache or turbo, for example from an i5 to an i7, or from a T part to a faster S part where cooling allows. The board stays, while memory and cooler often carry over.

A bigger move means a new socket with DDR4. Intel moved mainstream desktops through LGA 1200 with different pin layouts and cooler spacing. That move needs a new board, new memory and often a new cooler bracket. Keep the LGA 1150 board for secondary duty where it still runs well.