Core i3-8100H vs Core i5-3550S

Both the Core i3-8100H and Core i5-3550S share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Core i3-8100H versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i5-3550S — a 20.9% clock advantage for the Core i5-3550S (base: 3 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i3-8100H uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-3550S uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-8100H scores 4,435 against the Core i5-3550S's 4,442 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i5-3550S. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i3-8100H vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-3550S.

The Core i3-8100H uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3550S uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i3-8100H versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i5-3550S — the Core i3-8100H supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i3-8100H supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes.

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-8100H) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-3550S). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i3-8100H) and HD Graphics 2500 (Core i5-3550S) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-8100H targets Mobile, Core i5-3550S targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-3550S rivals FX-6350.