Core i7-5500U vs Pentium G4500

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.

Core i7-5500U vs Pentium G4500 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-5500U vs Pentium G4500: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-5500U

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 5500, while Pentium G4500 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Pentium G4500 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌903.9% higher power demand at 512W vs 51W.

Pentium G4500

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 51W instead of 512W, a 461W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,800 vs 2,807).
❌Launch MSRP is still $75 MSRP, while Core i7-5500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-5500U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium G4500 better than Core i7-5500U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium G4500 is ahead with a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-5500U pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-5500U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium G4500 is the better buy right now. Pentium G4500 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $75 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Core i7-5500U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.3% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (37.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Core i7-5500U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-5500U vs Pentium G4500 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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.

Pentium G4500

The Pentium G4500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,800 points. Launch price was $82.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-5500U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Pentium G4500's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Core i7-5500U versus 3.5 GHz on the Pentium G4500 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Pentium G4500 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-5500U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium G4500 uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5500U scores 2,807 against the Pentium G4500's 2,800 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i7-5500U. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-5500U	Pentium G4500
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3.5 GHz+17%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.5 GHz+46%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Broadwell-U (2015)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	2,807	2,800
Geekbench 6 Single	956	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,933	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-5500U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium G4500 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-5500U	Pentium G4500
Socket	FCBGA1168	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core i7-5500U) / not specified (Pentium G4500). The Core i7-5500U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 5500), while the Pentium G4500 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-5500U targets Ultrabook.