Core i7-3555LE vs Core i3-5020U

Core i7-3555LE

2 Cores4 Thrd25 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2012

Core i3-5020U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-3555LE

2 / 4

2,238

+0.3%

2,232

0.0%

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 Core i7-3555LE is positioned at rank 1150 and the Core i3-5020U is on rank 598, so the Core i3-5020U 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 i7-3555LE

#1138

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3933%

#1139

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3875%

#1140

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3558%

#1141

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3542%

#1142

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3509%

#1144

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3389%

#1145

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3249%

#1146

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3244%

#1147

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3157%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

100%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

99%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

97%

#1155

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

97%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

97%

#1158

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

95%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

95%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

92%

#1165

Core i7-3537U

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-5020U

#184

Core Ultra 7 266V

MSRP: $520|Avg: $520

100%

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

98%

#586

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

789%

#587

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

777%

#588

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

713%

#589

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

710%

#590

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

704%

#592

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

680%

#593

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

652%

#594

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

651%

#595

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

633%

#598

Core i3-5020U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#608

Ryzen AI 5 330

MSRP: $350|Avg: $350

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-3555LE delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-5020U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-3555LE	Core i3-5020U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($280)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-3555LE	Core i3-5020U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($280)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 i7-3555LE Benchmark Check

Core i3-5020U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3555LE and Core i3-5020U

Core i7-3555LE

The Core i7-3555LE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: unknown Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 2,238 points. Launch price was $69.

Core i3-5020U

The Core i3-5020U 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 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 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: 2,232 points. Launch price was $281.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-3555LE and Core i3-5020U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-3555LE versus 2.2 GHz on the Core i3-5020U — a 37% clock advantage for the Core i7-3555LE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i7-3555LE uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i3-5020U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3555LE scores 2,238 against the Core i3-5020U's 2,232 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i7-3555LE. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-3555LE vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-5020U.

Feature	Core i7-3555LE	Core i3-5020U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz+45%	2.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+14%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)+33%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Broadwell-U (2015)
PassMark	2,238	2,232
Geekbench 6 Single	—	600
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,200

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3555LE uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-5020U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-3555LE	Core i3-5020U
Socket	BGA1023	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-3555LE) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-5020U). The Core i3-5020U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 5500), while the Core i7-3555LE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-5020U targets Mainstream Laptop.