CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-3475S vs Intel Core i5-3550S
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-3475S is a 65W quad-core Ivy Bridge desktop processor featuring Intel HD 4000 graphics, offering better GPU performance than the HD 2500-equipped i5-3470S in the same power envelope.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Same CPU performance as the i5-3470S — adequate for basic office work but limited by today's standards.
The 3.7 GHz turbo provides marginally better performance than the i5-3470S, but the difference is barely noticeable in real-world use.
Gaming
HD 4000 provides noticeably better gaming capability than HD 2500 but is still insufficient for modern titles.
The slightly higher clocks provide a marginal improvement over the i5-3470S but the same fundamental limitations apply — four threads without HT bottleneck modern gaming.
Virtualization
Four cores without Hyper-Threading provide basic virtualization capability.
Same four-core, four-thread design limits virtualization capability as other S-series i5 processors.
Efficiency
The 65W TDP balances power efficiency with the additional GPU capability, reasonable for 2012.
The 65W TDP with slightly higher clocks is well-optimized for the 22nm process, though modern chips deliver far more performance per watt.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI acceleration hardware
- Not applicable for this processor generation
- Insufficient compute for AI workloads
- No AI acceleration hardware
- Not applicable for this processor generation
- Insufficient compute for AI workloads
Content Creation
Gaming
- HD 4000 with 16 EUs is the best integrated GPU in the Ivy Bridge i5 desktop lineup
- Can handle older games like Minecraft and Team Fortress 2 at low settings
- GPU shares system memory bandwidth, limiting performance
- Modern gaming still requires a discrete GPU
- 3.7 GHz turbo is the highest among 65W Ivy Bridge i5 models
- Still limited by four threads without Hyper-Threading
- HD 2500 graphics insufficient for gaming
- Modern titles will be CPU-bottlenecked even with a discrete GPU
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- HD 4000 graphics — best IGP in the Ivy Bridge i5 desktop lineup
- 65W TDP for power-efficient operation
- 16 Execution Units provide double the GPU compute of HD 2500
- Same 3.6 GHz turbo boost as other i5-3470 variants
- Full 6MB L3 cache
Cons
- HD 4000 still weak by modern standards
- No Hyper-Threading limits CPU multi-threading
- End-of-life LGA 1155 platform
- No Windows 11 support
- Rare and hard to find on the used market
- DDR3 memory is obsolete
Pros
- Highest turbo (3.7 GHz) among 65W Ivy Bridge i5 models
- 100 MHz higher base and turbo than i5-3470S
- 65W TDP for cooler operation
- Full 6MB L3 cache
- PCIe 3.0 support
Cons
- Only marginally faster than i5-3470S
- No Hyper-Threading limits multi-threaded performance
- HD 2500 integrated graphics are weak
- End-of-life LGA 1155 platform
- No Windows 11 support
- DDR3 memory is obsolete
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-3475S
- AMD A10-5700Rival
Desktop Low Power
- AMD A10-5800KRival
Desktop Mainstream
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-3470SRival
Desktop Low Power
- Intel Core i7-3770SRival
Desktop Low Power
- AMD A8-5500Rival
Desktop Budget
Haswell successor with Iris Pro 5200 graphics in a 65W BGA package.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5600GAlt
Modern 6-core APU with Vega 7 graphics for systems without discrete GPUs.
Modern processor with UHD 770 graphics and dramatically better CPU performance.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 3 4300GEAlt
Low-power quad-core with modern Vega integrated graphics.
Modern budget processor with UHD 730 graphics and much better IPC.
Compare head-to-head
Intel Core i5-3550S
- AMD FX-6300Rival
Desktop Mainstream
- AMD A10-5700Rival
Desktop Low Power
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-3470SRival
Desktop Low Power
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-3570Rival
Desktop Mainstream
- AMD A8-5500Rival
Desktop Budget
Haswell successor with AVX2, better IPC, and the same 65W TDP.
Compare head-to-headModern 6-core, 65W processor with dramatically better performance.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5600GEAlt
Efficient 6-core, 12-thread modern processor for SFF builds.
Modern low-power 4-thread processor with vastly superior IPC.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 3 4300GEAlt
Budget quad-core with modern Vega integrated graphics and DDR4.
Our Verdict on Each
The i5-3475S stands out as the only 65W quad-core Ivy Bridge i5 with HD 4000 graphics, but its outdated platform still makes it unsuitable for modern builds.
Best for: Maintaining an existing system that relies on integrated graphics without a discrete GPU
Read the full reviewThe i5-3550S offers slightly better clocks than the i5-3470S within the same 65W envelope, but its outdated platform makes it unsuitable for modern use.
Best for: Maintaining an existing SFF desktop that already uses this processor
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-3475S or Intel Core i5-3550S?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-3475S comes out ahead with a score of 5.2/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-3475S or Intel Core i5-3550S?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-3475S leads with a gaming performance score of 19/100 among Intel Core i5-3475S and Intel Core i5-3550S.
Do Intel Core i5-3475S and Intel Core i5-3550S use the same socket?
Yes — all of these CPUs use the LGA 1155 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-3550S posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-3475S (6,800), Intel Core i5-3550S (6,950). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.