Xeon W3550 vs Core i7-6500U

Xeon W3550

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.33 GHz2009

Core i7-6500U

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon W3550

4 / 8

3,251

0.0%

3,271

+0.6%

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 Xeon W3550 is positioned at rank 837 and the Core i7-6500U is on rank 302, so the Core i7-6500U 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 Xeon W3550

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

18791%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3548%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3152%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2435%

#474

EPYC 9654P

MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345

99%

#475

EPYC 9965

MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000

98%

#476

EPYC 9745

MSRP: $12141|Avg: $10588

97%

#477

EPYC 7J13

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $150

97%

#478

EPYC 7702

MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035

97%

#479

EPYC 7763

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $1513

97%

#480

EPYC 9734

MSRP: $9600|Avg: $6598

96%

#837

Xeon W3550

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

100%

#839

Xeon E5-2450

MSRP: $694|Avg: $795

98%

#841

Xeon E5-2630L v2

MSRP: $612|Avg: $149

98%

#842

Xeon E3-1246 v3

MSRP: $667|Avg: $215

98%

#843

Xeon W3540

MSRP: $284|Avg: $10

98%

#844

Xeon E-2124G

MSRP: $667|Avg: $462

98%

#852

Xeon E5-2407

MSRP: $250|Avg: $25

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6500U

#290

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

448%

#291

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

442%

#292

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

406%

#293

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

404%

#294

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

400%

#296

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

386%

#297

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

371%

#298

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

370%

#299

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

360%

#302

Core i7-6500U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i7-6500U (2015) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon W3550	Core i7-6500U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon W3550 (2009) relies on 45 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon W3550	Core i7-6500U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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.

Xeon W3550 Benchmark Check

Core i7-6500U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W3550 and Core i7-6500U

Xeon W3550

The Xeon W3550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 August 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.33 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,251 points. Launch price was $235.

Core i7-6500U

The Core i7-6500U 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 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,271 points. Launch price was $393.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon W3550 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-6500U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon W3550 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.33 GHz on the Xeon W3550 versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-6500U — a 7.2% clock advantage for the Xeon W3550 (base: 3.06 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Xeon W3550 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-6500U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W3550 scores 3,251 against the Core i7-6500U's 3,271 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i7-6500U. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon W3550 vs 4 MB on the Core i7-6500U.

Feature	Xeon W3550	Core i7-6500U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.33 GHz+7%	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.06 GHz+22%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+100%	4 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	45 nm	14 nm-69%
Architecture	Bloomfield (2008−2010)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	3,251	3,271

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon W3550 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-6500U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.