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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-3550

2012

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌
6.6% HIGHER MSRP
$194 MSRPvs$182 MSRP
❌120% higher power demand at 77W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-7400T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-7400T.

Core i5-7400T

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $12 less on MSRP ($182 MSRP vs $194 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 77W, a 42W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 630, while Core i5-3550 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-3550.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-3550 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,692 vs 4,778).

Core i5-3550

2012

Core i5-7400T

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅Costs $12 less on MSRP ($182 MSRP vs $194 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 77W, a 42W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 630, while Core i5-3550 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-3550.

Trade-offs

❌
6.6% HIGHER MSRP
$194 MSRPvs$182 MSRP
❌120% higher power demand at 77W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-7400T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-7400T.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-3550 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,692 vs 4,778).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-3550 better than Core i5-7400T?

Yes. Core i5-3550 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-3550 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 5.0% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3550 is the better fit. You are getting 1.8% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-3550 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i5-3550 is 6.6% more expensive on MSRP at $194 MSRP versus $182 MSRP, and it gives you a 5.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-7400T only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 4.7% better value on paper (25.8 vs 24.6 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-7400T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2012). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Core i5-3550 Benchmark Check

Core i5-7400T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-3550	Core i5-7400T
1080p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	113 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	107 FPS
high	93 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	65 FPS
medium	58 FPS	55 FPS
high	45 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i5-3550 Open Core i5-7400T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-3550	Core i5-7400T
1080p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	94 FPS
4K
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	105 FPS
high	98 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	60 FPS

Open Core i5-3550 Open Core i5-7400T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-3550	Core i5-7400T
1080p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	117 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	117 FPS
4K
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	117 FPS

Open Core i5-3550 Open Core i5-7400T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-3550	Core i5-7400T
1080p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	117 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	117 FPS
4K
low	119 FPS	117 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	119 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	117 FPS

Open Core i5-3550 Open Core i5-7400T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-3550 and Core i5-7400T

Core i5-3550

The Core i5-3550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 77 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,778 points. Launch price was $205.

Core i5-7400T

The Core i5-7400T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,692 points. Launch price was $187.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-3550 and Core i5-7400T share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i5-3550 versus 3 GHz on the Core i5-7400T — a 20.9% clock advantage for the Core i5-3550 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-3550 uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-7400T uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-3550 scores 4,778 against the Core i5-7400T's 4,692 — a 1.8% lead for the Core i5-3550. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-3550	Core i5-7400T
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+23%	3 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+38%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	4,778+2%	4,692
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,334
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,069
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,463

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-3550 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-7400T uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-3550	Core i5-7400T
Socket	LGA1155	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-3550) / Yes (Core i5-7400T). The Core i5-7400T includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 630), while the Core i5-3550 requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Core i5-3550	Core i5-7400T
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel HD Graphics 630
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	Yes

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-3550 launched at $194 MSRP, while the Core i5-7400T debuted at $182. On MSRP ($194 vs $182), the Core i5-7400T is $12 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-3550 delivers 24.6 pts/$ vs 25.8 pts/$ for the Core i5-7400T — making the Core i5-7400T the 4.6% better value option.