Core i5-8350U vs Core i7-8550U

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 i5-8350U is positioned at rank 866 and the Core i7-8550U is on rank 686, so the Core i7-8550U 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 i5-8350U

#854

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1428%

#855

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1407%

#856

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1291%

#857

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1286%

#858

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1274%

#860

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1230%

#861

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1180%

#862

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1178%

#863

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1146%

#866

Core i5-8350U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#867

Core i7-1160G7

MSRP: $426|Avg: N/A

100%

#873

Celeron M 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

99%

#877

Microsoft SQ1

MSRP: $300|Avg: $180

98%

#879

Core i5-6440HQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

98%

#881

Celeron Dual-Core T1600

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-8550U

#674

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

959%

#675

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

945%

#676

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

868%

#677

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

864%

#678

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

856%

#680

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

826%

#681

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

792%

#682

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

791%

#683

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

770%

#686

Core i7-8550U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#696

Processor N95

MSRP: $160|Avg: $80

98%

#699

Athlon Silver 3050e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $60

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-8550U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-8350U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i5-8350U	Core i7-8550U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i5-8350U	Core i7-8550U
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 i5-8350U Benchmark Check

Core i7-8550U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8350U and Core i7-8550U

Core i5-8350U

The Core i5-8350U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,102 points. Launch price was $297.

Core i7-8550U

The Core i7-8550U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,118 points. Launch price was $409.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-8350U and Core i7-8550U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-8350U versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-8550U — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-8550U (base: 1.7 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). Both are built on the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i5-8350U scores 6,102 against the Core i7-8550U's 6,118 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i7-8550U. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-8350U vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-8550U.

Feature	Core i5-8350U	Core i7-8550U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	4 GHz+11%
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	1.8 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019)	Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019)
PassMark	6,102	6,118