Core i7-5500U vs Athlon PRO 3045B
Core i7-5500U
Athlon PRO 3045B
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 i7-5500U is positioned at rank 733 and the Athlon PRO 3045B is on rank 1177, so the Core i7-5500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-5500U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 3045B
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-5500U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($180) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm) | ✨ Modern (Dali (2020−2021) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-5500U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($180) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-5500U and Athlon PRO 3045B
Core i7-5500U
The Core i7-5500U 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 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 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: 2,807 points. Launch price was $393.
Athlon PRO 3045B
The Athlon PRO 3045B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (2020−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,770 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Core i7-5500U and Athlon PRO 3045B share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Core i7-5500U versus 3.2 GHz on the Athlon PRO 3045B — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Athlon PRO 3045B (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-5500U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon PRO 3045B uses Dali (2020−2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5500U scores 2,807 against the Athlon PRO 3045B's 2,770 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i7-5500U. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.
| Feature | Core i7-5500U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz | 3.2 GHz+7% |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz+4% | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Broadwell-U (2015) | Dali (2020−2021) |
| PassMark | 2,807+1% | 2,770 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 956 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,933 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-5500U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon PRO 3045B uses FP5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600 on the Core i7-5500U versus DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 3045B — the Athlon PRO 3045B supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon PRO 3045B supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Core i7-5500U) vs 8 (Athlon PRO 3045B) — the Core i7-5500U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Broadwell-U SoC (Core i7-5500U) and AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 3045B).
| Feature | Core i7-5500U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600 | DDR4-2400+33% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | 32 GB+100% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | 12+50% | 8 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core i7-5500U) / not specified (Athlon PRO 3045B). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 5500 (Core i7-5500U) and AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 3045B) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-5500U targets Ultrabook.
| Feature | Core i7-5500U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics 5500 | AMD Radeon Vega 3 |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x / VT-d / EPT | — |
| Target Use | Ultrabook | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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