Core i7-5550U vs Athlon PRO 3045B
Core i7-5550U
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 i7-5550U is positioned at rank 485 and the Athlon PRO 3045B is on rank 1177, so the Core i7-5550U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-5550U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 3045B
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-5550U | 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 i7-5550U | 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 i7-5550U and Athlon PRO 3045B
Core i7-5550U
The Core i7-5550U 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 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: 2,780 points. Launch price was $426.
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 i7-5550U and Athlon PRO 3045B share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Core i7-5550U versus 3.2 GHz on the Athlon PRO 3045B — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Athlon PRO 3045B (base: 2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-5550U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon PRO 3045B uses Dali (2020−2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5550U scores 2,780 against the Athlon PRO 3045B's 2,770 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i7-5550U. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.
| Feature | Core i7-5550U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz | 3.2 GHz+7% |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz | 2.3 GHz+15% |
| 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 | 2,780 | 2,770 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-5550U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon PRO 3045B uses FP5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-5550U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
Advanced Features
The Athlon PRO 3045B includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Vega 3), while the Core i7-5550U requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Core i7-5550U | Athlon PRO 3045B |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | AMD Radeon Vega 3 |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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