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Intel

Core i5-3550

▲ 54341 ▼

4 Cores, 4 Threads @3.3 GHz, Ivy Bridge.
Release date ≤ Q4 2013.

Average Bench: 68.6% (451st of 1468)

more Based on 23,599 user benchmarks.  Devices: BFEBFBFF000306A9, , BFEBFBFF000306A8, 00004E414C206472, 4920555043070506, 4920555043080306 Model: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3550 CPU @ 3.30GHz
Poor: 54%Average: 68.6% Great: 78%
Gaming
Gaming 69%
Battle cruiser
Desktop
Desktop 73%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 51%
Yacht

Popular builds with this CPU

Above average average bench

The Intel Core i5-3550 averaged 31.3% 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 82.5Pts
Avg. Single Core Speed 90.5Pts

Good consistency

The range of scores (95th - 5th percentile) for the Intel Core i5-3550 is 24.1%. This is a relatively narrow range which indicates that the Intel Core i5-3550 performs reasonably consistently under varying real world conditions.

Weaknesses

Avg. Multi Core Speed 328Pts
Avg. Octa Core Speed 326Pts

Average Bench

(Based on 23,599 samples)
Rank 45168.6%
Min Avg Max
68 Memory 82.5 92.8
68.2 1-Core 90.5 99
133 2-Core 177 196
68.1% 117 Pts
Min Avg Max
191 4-Core 317 375
226 8-Core 326 376
42.8% 321 Pts
Min Avg Max
223 64-Core 328 376
20.3% 328 Pts
User Benchmarks BenchNormalHeavyServer
The fastest CPU (mainstream) averages a speed of 100%
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
75.1% Very good
Memory 89.6
1-Core 94
2-Core 184
72% 123 Pts
4-Core 351
8-Core 353
47% 352 Pts
64-Core 359
22% 359 Pts
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
73.6% Very good
Memory 84.6
1-Core 95
2-Core 185
71% 122 Pts
4-Core 363
8-Core 359
48% 361 Pts
64-Core 361
22% 361 Pts
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
73.2% Very good
Memory 85.9
1-Core 92.6
2-Core 184
70% 121 Pts
4-Core 350
8-Core 353
47% 352 Pts
64-Core 347
22% 347 Pts
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3550 CPU @ 3.30GHz, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 3.95 GHz (avg)
73% Very good
Memory 84.4
1-Core 93.4
2-Core 186
70% 121 Pts
4-Core 357
8-Core 359
48% 358 Pts
64-Core 358
22% 358 Pts
LGA1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
73% Very good
Memory 84.2
1-Core 95.1
2-Core 174
69% 118 Pts
4-Core 358
8-Core 361
48% 360 Pts
64-Core 361
22% 361 Pts
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 3.6 GHz (avg)
70.7% Very good
Memory 80.1
1-Core 95
2-Core 188
70% 121 Pts
4-Core 358
8-Core 345
47% 351 Pts
64-Core 338
21% 338 Pts
CPUSocket, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
69.8% Good
Memory 78
1-Core 93.4
2-Core 185
68% 119 Pts
4-Core 356
8-Core 358
48% 358 Pts
64-Core 360
22% 360 Pts
LGA1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
67.2% Good
Memory 80.6
1-Core 89
2-Core 182
68% 117 Pts
4-Core 310
8-Core 325
42% 317 Pts
64-Core 303
19% 303 Pts
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3550 CPU @ 3.30GHz, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 4 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 3.95 GHz (avg)
34.1% Below average
Memory 50.7
1-Core 57.1
2-Core 113
43% 73.7 Pts
4-Core 95.1
8-Core 221
18% 158 Pts
64-Core 165
10% 165 Pts
23,599 MORE »

 Market Share (See Leaders)

The number of benchmark samples for this model as a percentage of all 69,047,484 CPUs tested

 Prices

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AmazonUS $33524 mins
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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 i5-3550 Builds (Compare 12,143 builds) See popular component choices, score breakdowns and rankings
Gaming
Gaming 8%
Tree trunk
Desktop
Desktop 63%
Destroyer
Workstation
Workstation 7%
Tree trunk

Motherboard: Dell OptiPlex 7010

CPU
Core i5-3550Intel  $335Bench 69%, 23,599 samples1x
GPU
HD 2500 (Desktop 1.05 GHz)IntelBench 1%, 146,665 samples2,250x
GT 1030NvidiaBench 14%, 185,384 samples1,028x
GTX 1050-TiNvidia  $59Bench 29%, 946,701 samples974x
SSD
A400 240GBKingston  $25Bench 66%, 424,288 samples483x
A400 480GBKingston  $35Bench 74%, 237,487 samples196x
860 Evo 500GBSamsung  $80Bench 105%, 762,998 samples187x
RAM
2x8GBUnknownBench 64%, 236,291 samples247x
HMT351U6CFR8C-PB 2x4GBHynixBench 53%, 17,809 samples163x
8JTF51264AZ-1G6E1 4x4GBMicronBench 56%, 6,584 samples155x
EDIT WITH CUSTOM PC BUILDER Value: 62% - Good Total price: $360

Popular Core i5-3550 compatible motherboards:

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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™ i5-3550 Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz)
Code NameIvy Bridge
Launch DateQ2'12
Processor Numberi5-3550
# of Cores4
# of Threads4
Cache6 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set64-bit
Instruction Set ExtensionsSSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Embedded Options AvailableNo
Lithography22 nm
Recommended Price$205.00 - $213.00
Clock Speed3.3 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency3.7 GHz
Bus Speed5 GT/s DMI
Max TDP77 W
Thermal Solution Specification2011D

Graphics

Processor GraphicsIntel® HD Graphics 2500
Graphics Base Frequency650 MHz
Wireless DisplayYes
# of Displays Supported3
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency1.15 GHz
Quick Sync VideoYes
InTru 3D TechYes
Clear Video HD TechYes
Intel InsiderYes
Flexible Display InterfaceYes

Memory

Max Memory Size32 GB
Memory TypesDDR3 1333/1600
Memory Channels2
Memory Bandwidth25.6 GB/s
ECC Memory SupportedNo

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision3.0
PCI Express Configurationsup to 1x16, 2x8, 1x8 & 2x4

Data Protection

AES New InstructionsYes
Secure KeyYes

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)Yes
VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)Yes
TSX-NINo
vPro TechYes
Identity Protection TechYes

Package

Package Size37.5mm x 37.5mm
Max CPU Configuration1
Sockets SupportedFCLGA1155

Platform Protection

Execute Disable BitYes
Trusted Execution TechYes
Anti-Theft TechYes

 Comments

Added n/a ago.
USA-User
Avatar level
10,046

Good (edit your comment) Add link

15 months ago.

Similar to the Ryzen 5 3400g. Only downsides are that it is more expensive, and has a weak iGPU. Other than that, it's very capable, whether you want a gaming machine or just a plain desktop.

CAN-User
Avatar level
5,080

Good

3 years ago.

ive overclocked a non overclockable chip to 4.8 need i say more

NOR-User
Avatar level
2,324

Excellent

4 years ago.

I got it for 25$ used but its nice

msijonne
Avatar level
34

Average

5 years ago.

is good to play old game.

Nohbdy
Avatar level
18

Excellent

7 years ago.

This Ivybridge CPU is nearly as powerful as the i5 7400, but can be found for less than $70 USD. It is excellent for used parts builds, and can be paired with a GTX 1070 without serious bottlenecking. The iGPU is also a large step up from Sandybridge, but is still much less powerful than the i5 7400's iGPU.

GoldenCrkr
Avatar level
4

Average

5 years ago.

Long lasting durable and gets the job done

jajaskos
Avatar level
2

Poor

3 months ago.

not good with good graphic cards

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Speed Comparisons

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

 Frequently Asked Questions

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The Best
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $210Nvidia RTX 4060 $285WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $125
Intel Core i5-12600K $160Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $389WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $80
Intel Core i5-12400F $111Nvidia RTX 4070 $500Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $330
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