Pentium E5500 vs Pentium 3556U
Pentium E5500
Pentium 3556U
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 Pentium E5500 is positioned at rank 913 and the Pentium 3556U is on rank 253, so the Pentium 3556U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium E5500
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 3556U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium E5500 | Pentium 3556U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium E5500 | Pentium 3556U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 Pentium E5500 and Pentium 3556U
Pentium E5500
The Pentium E5500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 April 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,064 points. Launch price was $109.
Pentium 3556U
The Pentium 3556U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,072 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium E5500 and Pentium 3556U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Pentium E5500 versus 1.7 GHz on the Pentium 3556U — a 48.9% clock advantage for the Pentium E5500 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Pentium E5500 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 3556U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium E5500 scores 1,064 against the Pentium 3556U's 1,072 — a 0.7% lead for the Pentium 3556U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Pentium E5500 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3556U.
| Feature | Pentium E5500 | Pentium 3556U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.8 GHz+65% | 1.7 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.8 GHz+65% | 1.7 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (total)+700% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 22 nm-51% |
| Architecture | Wolfdale (2008−2010) | Haswell (2013−2015) |
| PassMark | 1,064 | 1,072 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium E5500 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 3556U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium E5500 | Pentium 3556U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | FCBGA1168 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 3.0+173% |
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