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Intel Core i7-5500U

Intel 5500U

The Intel Core i7-5500U is an ULV (ultra low voltage) dual-core processor based on the Broadwell architecture, which has been launched in January 2015. In addition to two CPU cores with Hyper-Threading clocked at 2.4 - 3.0 GHz (2 Cores: 2.9 GHz), the chip also integrates an HD Graphics 5500 GPU and a dual-channel DDR3(L)-1600 memory controller. The Core i7 is manufactured in a 14 nm process with FinFET transistors.

Compared to the Core i7-5550U, the i7-5500U features a higher CPU base clock, but integrates a somewhat slower GPU.

Architecture

Broadwell represents the "Tick" in Intel's Tick-Tock model, which means a shrink of its predecessor Haswell. The new 14 nm manufacturing process with three-dimensional FinFET transistors allows not only improvements in energy efficiency, but also a significantly smaller die size fit for more compact packages and devices.

Further advantages result from the revised microarchitecture of Broadwell. Due to its improved branch prediction, bigger buffer sizes (1500 instead of 1000 entries in the L2 TLB) and other tweaks, the performance per clock has been increased by more than 5 percent over its predecessor. There are also some new instruction set extensions designed for cryptographic applications.

Performance

Thanks to its improved architecture, the Core i7-5500U beats the slightly lower clocked Core i7-4500U (Haswell, 15 W) by about 5 - 15 percent and matches the Core i5-4258U (Haswell, 28 W). Thus, the CPU has sufficient power for office and multimedia purposes as well as more demanding applications and multitasking.

Graphics

The integrated HD Graphics 5500 offers 24 Execution Units (EUs) clocked at 300 - 950 MHz. Similar to the CPU core, the GPU architecture (Intel Gen 8) has been thoroughly revised for improved performance-per-clock. Therefore, the HD Graphics 5500 outperforms the HD Graphics 4400 (20 EUs) as well as the HD Graphics 5000 (40 EUs), both part of the Haswell generation. Nevertheless, most games as of 2015 will be playable only in low settings.

Broadwell is the first Intel chip to fully support DirectX 11.2 as well as OpenCL 1.3/2.0 and OpenGL 4.3. Video will output natively via DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI 1.4a. However, the new HDMI 2.0 standard is not supported.

Power Consumption

The i7-5500U is rated at a TDP of 15 W (7.5 W cTDP Down) including the graphics card, memory controller, VRMs and the integrated chipset. Therefore, the CPU is suited even for small ultrabooks 11-inches and greater.

SeriesIntel Core i7
CodenameBroadwell

Series: Core i7 Broadwell

Intel Core i7-5950HQ compare2.9 - 3.8 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5850HQ compare2.7 - 3.6 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5700HQ compare2.7 - 3.5 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5750HQ compare2.5 - 3.4 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5557U compare3.1 - 3.4 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5600U compare2.6 - 3.2 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5650U compare2.2 - 3.2 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5500U « 2.4 - 3 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Intel Core i7-5550U compare2 - 3 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Clock Rate2400 - 3000 MHz
Level 1 Cache128 KB
Level 2 Cache512 KB
Level 3 Cache4 MB
Number of Cores / Threads2 / 4
Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)15 Watt
Transistor Count1300 Million
Manufacturing Technology14 nm
Die Size82 mm2
Max. Temperature105 °C
SocketBGA
FeaturesDDR3(L)-1600 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NI
GPUIntel HD Graphics 5500 (300 - 950 MHz)
64 Bit64 Bit support
Architecturex86
Starting Price$393 U.S.
Announcement Date01/05/2015
Product Link (external)Intel Core i7 5500U

Benchmarks

Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
min: 210     avg: 282.8     median: 289 (3%)     max: 305 Points
Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64 Bit
min: 77     avg: 118.1     median: 121 (37%)     max: 125 Points
Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64 Bit
min: 2.55     avg: 3.1     median: 3.2 (4%)     max: 3.29 Points
Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64 Bit
min: 0.96     avg: 1.4     median: 1.4 (36%)     max: 1.43 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (32bit)
min: 4062     avg: 4592     median: 4615 (28%)     max: 4695 points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (32bit)
min: 7806     avg: 9663     median: 9791 (7%)     max: 10145 points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (64bit)
min: 9109     avg: 11951     median: 12478 (9%)     max: 13267 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (64bit)
min: 3435     avg: 5716     median: 6073 (33%)     max: 6200 Points
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 1024m *
min: 494     avg: 534     median: 538 (6%)     max: 561 s
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 32m *
min: 15.51     avg: 17     median: 16.8 (3%)     max: 21.17 s
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 - x264 Pass 2
min: 14.89     avg: 17.3     median: 17.8 (6%)     max: 18.8 fps
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 - x264 Pass 1
min: 84.2     avg: 92.2     median: 94.6 (22%)     max: 98.8 fps
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt Serpent
min: 0.155     avg: 0.2     median: 0.2 (5%)     max: 0.164 GB/s
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt Twofish
min: 0.254     avg: 0.3     median: 0.3 (5%)     max: 0.284 GB/s
3DMark 06 - CPU - 3DMark 06 - CPU
min: 3246     avg: 3754     median: 3826 (8%)     max: 3970 Points
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M *
min: 12.57     avg: 12.9     median: 12.8 (3%)     max: 13.95 s
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M *
min: 28.89     avg: 29.9     median: 29.8 (1%)     max: 31.64 s
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 32M *
min: 649     avg: 669     median: 673 (3%)     max: 687 s
3DMark Vantage - 3DM Vant. Perf. CPU no Physx
min: 9380     avg: 10684     median: 10944 (10%)     max: 11269 Points
3DMark 11 - 3DM11 Performance Physics
min: 1722     avg: 3857     median: 4008 (11%)     max: 4328 Points
3DMark - 3DMark Ice Storm Physics
min: 14154     avg: 34665     median: 35682 (30%)     max: 41584 Points
3DMark - 3DMark Cloud Gate Physics
min: 1466     avg: 3278     median: 3409 (9%)     max: 3566 Points
3DMark - 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Physics
min: 969     avg: 4570     median: 4855 (9%)     max: 4996 Points
Geekbench 3 - Geekbench 3 32 Bit Multi-Core
min: 5526     avg: 5947     median: 6004 (11%)     max: 6285 points
Geekbench 3 - Geekbench 3 32 Bit Single-Core
min: 2674     avg: 2866     median: 2894 (57%)     max: 3041 points
Geekbench 3 - Geekbench 3 64 Bit Multi-Core
min: 5794     avg: 5894     median: 5893.5 (9%)     max: 5993 points
Geekbench 3 - Geekbench 3 64 Bit Single-Core
min: 2839     avg: 2864     median: 2863.5 (43%)     max: 2888 points
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Stream
min: 5269     avg: 6504     median: 6504 (52%)     max: 7739 Points
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Memory
min: 5157     avg: 5920     median: 5920 (54%)     max: 6683 Points
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Floating Point
min: 6714     avg: 6739     median: 6738.5 (13%)     max: 6763 Points
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Integer
min: 6063     avg: 6124     median: 6124 (12%)     max: 6185 Points
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Total Score
min: 6047     avg: 6336     median: 6336 (17%)     max: 6625 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Kraken 1.1 Total Score *
min: 2223     avg: 2424     median: 2283 (3%)     max: 3649 ms
Sunspider - Sunspider 1.0 Total Score *
min: 93.5     avg: 109.3     median: 99.8 (1%)     max: 194.8 ms
Sunspider - Sunspider 0.9.1 Total Score *
108.3 ms (1%)
Octane V2 - Octane V2 Total Score
min: 6867     avg: 13623     median: 14438 (13%)     max: 15201 Points
- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance

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