Core i5-4260U vs Core i7-4550U

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 Core i5-4260U is positioned at rank 296 and the Core i7-4550U is on rank 145, so the Core i7-4550U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4260U

#86

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

99%

#284

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

444%

#285

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

438%

#286

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

402%

#287

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

400%

#288

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

396%

#290

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

383%

#291

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

367%

#292

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

367%

#293

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

357%

#296

Core i5-4260U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4550U

#42

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

MSRP: $749|Avg: N/A

95%

#133

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

318%

#134

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

313%

#135

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

288%

#136

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

286%

#137

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

284%

#139

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

274%

#140

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

263%

#141

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

262%

#142

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

255%

#145

Core i7-4550U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

99%

#158

Core i5-3210M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i7-4550U leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i5-4260U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i5-4260U	Core i7-4550U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-ULT (2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i5-4260U	Core i7-4550U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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 i5-4260U Benchmark Check

Core i7-4550U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-4260U and Core i7-4550U

Core i5-4260U

The Core i5-4260U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,311 points. Launch price was $325.

Core i7-4550U

The Core i7-4550U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-ULT (2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,307 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-4260U and Core i7-4550U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-4260U versus 3 GHz on the Core i7-4550U — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-4550U (base: 1.4 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core i5-4260U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-4550U uses Haswell-ULT (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-4260U scores 2,311 against the Core i7-4550U's 2,307 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i5-4260U. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-4260U vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-4550U.

Feature	Core i5-4260U	Core i7-4550U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	3 GHz+11%
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	1.5 GHz+7%
L3 Cache	3 MB	4 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	512 kB+100%	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Haswell-ULT (2013)
PassMark	2,311	2,307