Core i7-5500U vs Phenom II X2 X640 BE

Core i7-5500U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3 GHz2015

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-5500U

2 / 4

2,807

0.0%

2,839

+1.1%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 Phenom II X2 X640 BE is on rank 136, so the Phenom II X2 X640 BE 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 i7-5500U

#721

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1045%

#722

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1030%

#723

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

945%

#724

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

941%

#725

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

933%

#727

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

901%

#728

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

864%

#729

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

862%

#730

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

839%

#733

Core i7-5500U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#744

Pentium 6805

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#748

Ryzen 3 7320C

MSRP: $299|Avg: $200

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X2 X640 BE

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

98%

#124

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

310%

#125

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

306%

#126

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

280%

#127

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

279%

#128

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

277%

#130

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

267%

#131

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

256%

#132

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

256%

#133

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

249%

#136

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#137

N200

MSRP: $193|Avg: N/A

100%

#138

Core 2 Duo SP9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

100%

#140

Core 2 Duo P8700

MSRP: $241|Avg: $85

99%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Phenom II X2 X640 BE delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i7-5500U in both compute-intensive tasks (1.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-5500U	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-5500U	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
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 i7-5500U Benchmark Check

Phenom II X2 X640 BE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-5500U and Phenom II X2 X640 BE

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.

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

The Phenom II X2 X640 BE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 3.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,839 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-5500U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Phenom II X2 X640 BE's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Core i7-5500U versus 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X2 X640 BE — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Phenom II X2 X640 BE. The Core i7-5500U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X2 X640 BE uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5500U scores 2,807 against the Phenom II X2 X640 BE's 2,839 — a 1.1% lead for the Phenom II X2 X640 BE.

Feature	Core i7-5500U	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3.2 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	—
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	14 nm-69%	45 nm
Architecture	Broadwell-U (2015)	Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark	2,807	2,839+1%
Geekbench 6 Single	956	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,933	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-5500U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X2 X640 BE uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-5500U	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
Socket	FCBGA1168	S1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core i7-5500U) / not specified (Phenom II X2 X640 BE). The Core i7-5500U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 5500), while the Phenom II X2 X640 BE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-5500U targets Ultrabook.