TEST
YOUR CPU
ADD TO PC
BUILD

Intel

Core i5-2550K

▲ 52155 ▼

4 Cores, 4 Threads @3.4 GHz, Sandy Bridge.
Release date ≤ Q1 2014.

Average Bench: 73.9% (324th of 1442)

Based on 2,925 user benchmarks.  Device: BFEBFBFF000206A7 Model: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2550K CPU @ 3.40GHz
Poor: 60%Average: 73.9% Great: 85%
Gaming
Gaming 74%
Battleship
Desktop
Desktop 78%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 55%
Gunboat

Popular builds with this CPU

Good average bench

The Intel Core i5-2550K averaged 26.1% lower than the peak scores attained by the group leaders. This isn't a great result which indicates that there are much faster alternatives on the comparison list.

Strengths

Avg. Memory Latency 87.4Pts
Avg. Single Core Speed 94.9Pts

Good consistency

The range of scores (95th - 5th percentile) for the Intel Core i5-2550K is 25%. This is a relatively narrow range which indicates that the Intel Core i5-2550K performs reasonably consistently under varying real world conditions.

Weaknesses

Avg. Multi Core Speed 356Pts
Avg. Octa Core Speed 355Pts
ADVERTISEMENT

Average Bench

(Based on 2,925 samples)
Rank 32473.9%
Min Avg Max
75.1 Memory 87.4 95.5
72.5 1-Core 94.9 117
152 2-Core 188 234
71.9% 123 Pts
Min Avg Max
238 4-Core 349 451
252 8-Core 355 456
47% 352 Pts
Min Avg Max
263 64-Core 356 460
22% 356 Pts
User Benchmarks BenchNormalHeavyServer
The fastest CPU (mainstream) averages a speed of 100%
LGA1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 4 GHz (avg)
80% Excellent
Memory 91.2
1-Core 102
2-Core 206
77% 133 Pts
4-Core 399
8-Core 399
53% 399 Pts
64-Core 397
25% 397 Pts
CPUSocket, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
74.6% Very good
Memory 87.3
1-Core 95.5
2-Core 187
72% 123 Pts
4-Core 359
8-Core 361
48% 360 Pts
64-Core 360
22% 360 Pts
CPU 1, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.45 GHz (avg)
74.5% Very good
Memory 89.6
1-Core 90.6
2-Core 181
71% 120 Pts
4-Core 344
8-Core 347
46% 346 Pts
64-Core 331
20% 331 Pts
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
70.7% Very good
Memory 85.5
1-Core 92.6
2-Core 181
70% 120 Pts
4-Core 323
8-Core 330
44% 326 Pts
64-Core 330
20% 330 Pts
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
69.3% Good
Memory 88.6
1-Core 92.3
2-Core 182
71% 121 Pts
4-Core 289
8-Core 305
39% 297 Pts
64-Core 306
19% 306 Pts
Socket 1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 3.8 GHz (avg)
69.3% Good
Memory 83.6
1-Core 89.7
2-Core 174
68% 116 Pts
4-Core 318
8-Core 324
43% 321 Pts
64-Core 327
20% 327 Pts
LGA1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.35 GHz (avg)
68.2% Good
Memory 85.9
1-Core 88.3
2-Core 147
65% 107 Pts
4-Core 293
8-Core 298
39% 295 Pts
64-Core 294
18% 294 Pts
Socket 1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 3.8 GHz (avg)
57.7% Above average
Memory 82.1
1-Core 77.7
2-Core 141
61% 100 Pts
4-Core 194
8-Core 205
26% 199 Pts
64-Core 207
13% 207 Pts
LGA1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 2.6 GHz (avg)
51.6% Above average
Memory 78.4
1-Core 64.9
2-Core 117
54% 86.7 Pts
4-Core 142
8-Core 169
20% 155 Pts
64-Core 180
11% 180 Pts
2,925 MORE »

 Market Share (See Leaders)

The number of benchmark samples for this model as a percentage of all 67,718,785 CPUs tested

 Prices

If you buy via one of these links, our site may earn a commission

AmazonUS $1195 years
Send price feedback
Custom PC Builder (Start a new build) Build your perfect PC: compare component prices, popularity, speed and value for money

CHOOSE A COMPONENT:

CPU GPU SSD HDD RAM MBD
Typical Core i5-2550K Builds (Compare 1,842 builds) See popular component choices, score breakdowns and rankings
Gaming
Gaming 26%
Raft
Desktop
Desktop 79%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 20%
Surfboard

Motherboard: Asus P8Z68-V LX

CPU
Core i5-2550KIntel  $119Bench 74%, 2,925 samples1x
GPU
GTX 1050-TiNvidia  $59Bench 29%, 946,701 samples133x
GTX 970Nvidia  $200Bench 49%, 834,238 samples122x
GTX 1060-6GBNvidia  $117Bench 56%, 1,368,019 samples103x
SSD
A400 240GBKingston  $28Bench 66%, 424,288 samples71x
850 Evo 250GBSamsung  $100Bench 103%, 951,591 samples56x
860 Evo 1TBSamsung  $130Bench 112%, 602,853 samples44x
RAM
Savage DDR3 1600 C9 2x4GBHyperXBench 51%, 78,181 samples65x
Vengeance DDR3 1600 C9 4x4GBCorsairBench 53%, 34,385 samples54x
Vengeance DDR3 1600 C9 2x4GBCorsairBench 48%, 73,650 samples52x
EDIT WITH CUSTOM PC BUILDER Value: 90% - Outstanding Total price: $206

Popular Core i5-2550K compatible motherboards:

How Fast Is Your CPU? (Bench your build) Size up your PC in less than a minute

Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.

UserBenchmark of the month

Gaming Desktop ProGaming

How it works

  • - Download and run UserBenchmark
  • - CPU tests include: integer, floating and string
  • - GPU tests include: six 3D game simulations
  • - Drive tests include: read, write, sustained write and mixed IO
  • - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency
  • - SkillBench (space shooter) tests user input accuracy
  • - Reports are generated and presented on userbenchmark.com
  • - Identify the strongest components in your PC
  • - See speed test results from other users
  • - Compare your components to the current market leaders
  • - Explore your best upgrade options with a virtual PC build
  • - Compare your in-game FPS to other users with your hardware
Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) April 2024 CPU Rankings

We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]

ADVERTISEMENT

Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.

 Specifications

Essentials

DescriptionIntel® Core™ i5-2550K Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz)
Code NameSandy Bridge
Launch DateQ1'12
Processor Numberi5-2550K
# of Cores4
# of Threads4
Cache6 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set64-bit
Instruction Set ExtensionsSSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Embedded Options AvailableNo
Lithography32 nm
Recommended Price$235.00
Clock Speed3.4 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency3.8 GHz
Bus Speed5 GT/s DMI
Max TDP95 W
Expected DiscontinuanceQ1'2013

Graphics

Wireless DisplayNo
Quick Sync VideoYes
InTru 3D TechNo
Clear Video HD TechNo
Intel InsiderNo
Flexible Display InterfaceNo

Memory

Max Memory Size32 GB
Memory TypesDDR3 1066/1333
Memory Channels2
Memory Bandwidth21 GB/s
ECC Memory SupportedNo

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision2.0
Max # of PCI Express Lanes16

Data Protection

AES New InstructionsYes

Advanced Technologies

Virtualization Tech (VT-x)Yes
Intel 64Yes
Idle StatesYes
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® TechYes
Thermal Monitoring TechnologiesYes
Turbo Boost Tech2.0
Hyper-Threading TechNo
Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d)No
VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)Yes
vPro TechNo
Identity Protection TechYes
Fast Memory AccessYes
Flex Memory AccessYes

Package

Package Size37.5mm x 37.5mm
Max CPU Configuration1
Sockets SupportedLGA1155

Platform Protection

Execute Disable BitYes
Trusted Execution TechNo

 Comments

Added n/a ago.
USA-User
Avatar level
9,834

Liked (edit your comment) Add link

6 months ago.

MYS-User
Avatar level
3,261

Poor

1 month ago.

Bro can outlives my grandparent truly worth it for 10 years cpu 95W might a deal breaker but if it goes on sale for 10-20$ go for it

ARG-User
Avatar level
3,220

Good

3 years ago.

Excelente procesador. Nada que envidiar a equipos actuales.

BGR-User
Avatar level
2,880

Excellent

6 years ago.

i dont have this pc but i will have it

FIN-User
Avatar level
2,538

Good

2 years ago.

Been running my i5-2550k at 5.9GHz for years now

usbserial
Avatar level
12

Excellent

6 years ago.

I have been running an i5-2550k since 2012. With modest overclocking it is only 20% slower in single core processing than the 8th Gen i5's, giving me no reason, even 5 years later, to upgrade.

Your
opinion?
▲Like ▼Dislike
Ready to retire
Age: 10 years

Speed Comparisons

vs Intel Core i5-13600K
vs Intel Core i5-12600K
vs Intel Core i5-12400F
vs Intel Core i3-12100F
vs Intel Core i7-13700K
vs Intel Core i9-13900K
vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600
vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
vs Intel Core i7-11700K

1442 Processors (Compared) Thousands of user benchmarks compiled into one comparison list

See how consistently different CPUs perform with varying real world conditions. The charts also illustrate overall performance, popularity and rank.

 Frequently Asked Questions

Processors FAQ
AMD vs Intel: Gaming performance 2012-2021
How does IPC compare between AMD's Ryzen and Intel's Kaby Lake?
What is multi core mixed speed?
What is multi core integer speed?
What is multi core floating point speed?
What is single core mixed CPU speed?
What is quad core mixed CPU speed?
What is quad core floating point speed?
What is quad core integer speed?
What is single core floating point speed?
What is single core integer speed?
What is the GeekBench single core score?
What is a CPU?
What is the effective CPU speed index?
What is overclocking?
What is thermal design power (TDP)?
ALL FAQs »

 Best User Rated
The Best.
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $279Nvidia RTX 4060 $300Crucial MX500 250GB $40
Intel Core i5-12400F $133Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $182Nvidia RTX 4070 $409Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $52
HDDRAMUSB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB (2016) $39Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GB $40SanDisk Extreme 64GB $72
WD Blue 1TB (2012) $30Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB $43SanDisk Extreme 32GB $28
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $51G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 3200 C14 4x16GB $351SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB $16
If you make a purchase via one of these links, our site may earn a commission
Today's hottest
Amazon Ebay
deals
CPU GPU SSD HDD USB RAM MBD
Build Test EFps
Can You Run It?
►
YouTube
*NEW*
About  •  User Guide  •  FAQs  •  Email  •  Privacy  •  Developer  •  YouTube Feedback