Athlon PRO 3045B vs Core i7-5500U
Athlon PRO 3045B
Core i7-5500U
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon PRO 3045B is positioned at rank 1177 and the Core i7-5500U is on rank 733, so the Core i7-5500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 3045B
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-5500U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i7-5500U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($180) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Dali (2020−2021) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i7-5500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($180) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon PRO 3045B and Core i7-5500U
Athlon PRO 3045B
The Athlon PRO 3045B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (2020−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,770 points. Launch price was $149.
Core i7-5500U
The Core i7-5500U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,807 points. Launch price was $393.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon PRO 3045B and Core i7-5500U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Athlon PRO 3045B versus 3 GHz on the Core i7-5500U — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Athlon PRO 3045B (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Athlon PRO 3045B uses the Dali (2020−2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-5500U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 3045B scores 2,770 against the Core i7-5500U's 2,807 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i7-5500U. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i7-5500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz+7% | 3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.3 GHz | 2.4 GHz+4% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core)+100% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Dali (2020−2021) | Broadwell-U (2015) |
| PassMark | 2,770 | 2,807+1% |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 956 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,933 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon PRO 3045B uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i7-5500U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 3045B versus DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600 on the Core i7-5500U — the Athlon PRO 3045B supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon PRO 3045B supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon PRO 3045B) vs 12 (Core i7-5500U) — the Core i7-5500U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 3045B) and Broadwell-U SoC (Core i7-5500U).
| Feature | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i7-5500U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FP5 | FCBGA1168 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 4.0+33% | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400+33% | DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 12+50% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon PRO 3045B) / VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core i7-5500U). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 3045B) and Intel HD Graphics 5500 (Core i7-5500U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-5500U targets Ultrabook.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i7-5500U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | Intel HD Graphics 5500 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x / VT-d / EPT |
| Target Use | — | Ultrabook |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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