CPU Comparison

Core i7-5500U vs Core i7-5600U

A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i7-5500U is a low-power mobile processor introduced in early 2015, designed specifically for ultra-thin laptops and ultrabooks. Built on the 14nm Broadwell-U architecture, it succeeded the Haswell-U series, offering tangible improvements in energy efficiency and battery life. The chip features two physical cores and supports Hyper-Threading, allowing it to process four threads simultaneously. Operating at a base frequency of 2.4 GHz and boosting up to 3.0 GHz, it provides adequate performance for everyday computing tasks. It includes 4 MB of L3 cache and integrates Intel HD Graphics 5500, which handles basic media decoding and light gaming. With a highly efficient 15-watt thermal design power, the i7-5500U was instrumental in enabling the proliferation of thin-and-light laptops with all-day battery life. Though end-of-life and outclassed by modern standards, it was a highly capable and popular processor during its prime indeed.

Intel · Core i7
Core i7-5500U
2C / 4T3 GHz15 W
6
Full review
Top pick
Intel · Core i7
Core i7-5600U
2C / 4T3.2 GHz15 W
6.5
Full review

The Bottom Line

Overview & Launch

Brand
Intel
Intel
Market
Mobile
Mobile
Segment
Mobile Thin & Light
Mobile Business
Generation
5th Gen Core i7
5th Gen Core i7
Launched
2015
2015
Status
End-of-life
End-of-life
Codename
Broadwell-U
Broadwell-U
Series
Core i7
Core i7
Family
Broadwell-U
Broadwell-U
Predecessor
Haswell-U (4th Gen)
Haswell-U (4th Gen)
Successor
Skylake-U (6th Gen)
Skylake-U (6th Gen)

Specifications Compared

Cores & Clocks
Cores
2
2
Threads
4
4
Base Clock
2.4 GHz
2.6 GHz
Boost Clock
3 GHz
3.2 GHz
Cache & Power
L3 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
TDP
15 W
15 W
Architecture
Architecture
Broadwell-U
Broadwell-U
Process Node
14nm
14nm
Memory
Memory Type
DDR3
DDR3
Memory Speed
DDR3-1600
DDR3-1600
Memory Channels
Dual (2)
Dual (2)
Max Memory
16 GB
16 GB
Platform & I/O
Socket
Intel BGA 1168
Intel BGA 1168
PCIe Version
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
PCIe Lanes
12
12
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
Unlocked
No
No

Performance Compared

Productivity

Core i7-5500U30

Handles basic office tasks but struggles with heavy multitasking.

Core i7-5600UBest35

Good for office tasks, but dual-core limits heavy multitasking.

Gaming

Core i7-5500U20

Only capable of running very old or lightweight 2D games.

Core i7-5600U20

HD 5500 is only suitable for very old or 2D games.

Virtualization

Core i7-5500U15

Not recommended for VMs due to dual-core limitation.

Core i7-5600UBest20

vPro helps, but dual-core limits running multiple VMs.

Efficiency

Core i7-5500U50

Good efficiency for 2015, but poor compared to modern chips.

Core i7-5600UBest55

Excellent efficiency for 2015 business laptops.

Specialized Performance

AI / ML

Core i7-5500UNone
  • No AI hardware
  • Dual-core limits any CPU-based AI inference
Core i7-5600UNone
  • No AI hardware
  • Dual-core limits inference

Content Creation

Core i7-5500UBasic
Basic Photo Editing1080p Video Playback
Core i7-5600UBasic
Office AppsWeb AppsBasic Photo Editing

Gaming

Core i7-5500UPoor
  • Integrated HD 5500 is very weak
  • Only suitable for 2D or old indie games
  • No dedicated video memory
Core i7-5600UPoor
  • Not designed for gaming
  • HD 5500 is very weak
  • Only for basic 2D applications

Industry Impact

Gaming
None
None
Workstations
None
None
Content Creation
Low
Low
Virtualization
Low
Moderate

Best CPU by Use Case

Web Browsing
Good
Very Good
Office Productivity
Good
Very Good
Video Playback
Very Good
Light Gaming
Poor
Poor
Programming
Moderate
Moderate
Video Conferencing
Excellent

Target Audience

Gamers
Content Creators
Developers
Workstation Users
Streamers
Office / Productivity
Targeted
Targeted
Students
Targeted
Targeted

Strengths & Weaknesses

Core i7-5500U

Pros

  • Excellent battery life for its era
  • Low 15W TDP
  • Good for basic office tasks
  • Enabled thin-and-light designs

Cons

  • Only 2 cores
  • DDR3 memory only
  • Weak integrated graphics
  • Soldered to motherboard
  • Struggles with modern web multitasking
Core i7-5600U

Pros

  • Intel vPro for enterprise management
  • Excellent battery life for its era
  • Good for office productivity
  • Low 15W TDP

Cons

  • Only 2 cores
  • Outdated DDR3 memory
  • Weak integrated graphics
  • Soldered to motherboard
  • Struggles with modern multitasking

Competitors & Alternatives

Core i7-5500U

Core i7-5600U

Our Verdict on Each

Core i7-5500USituational

A highly efficient dual-core processor for 2015 ultrabooks that provided excellent battery life, though it struggles significantly with modern multitasking.

Best for: Buying a very cheap used laptop for basic web browsing or typing.

Read the full review
Core i7-5600USituational

A solid Broadwell-U chip tailored for enterprise environments with vPro, offering good efficiency and adequate performance for office work.

Best for: Buying a refurbished ThinkPad or Latitude for basic typing.

Read the full review

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Core i7-5500U or Core i7-5600U?

Based on our editorial ratings, the Core i7-5600U comes out ahead with a score of 6.5/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.

Do Core i7-5500U and Core i7-5600U use the same socket?

Yes — all of these CPUs use the Intel BGA 1168 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.