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.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Handles basic office tasks but struggles with heavy multitasking.
Good for office tasks, but dual-core limits heavy multitasking.
Gaming
Only capable of running very old or lightweight 2D games.
HD 5500 is only suitable for very old or 2D games.
Virtualization
Not recommended for VMs due to dual-core limitation.
vPro helps, but dual-core limits running multiple VMs.
Efficiency
Good efficiency for 2015, but poor compared to modern chips.
Excellent efficiency for 2015 business laptops.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI hardware
- Dual-core limits any CPU-based AI inference
- No AI hardware
- Dual-core limits inference
Content Creation
Gaming
- Integrated HD 5500 is very weak
- Only suitable for 2D or old indie games
- No dedicated video memory
- Not designed for gaming
- HD 5500 is very weak
- Only for basic 2D applications
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
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
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- Outdated DDR3 memory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
- AMD A8-7100Rival
Mobile APU
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-5200URival
Mobile Thin & Light
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i7-4500URival
Mobile Thin & Light
- Intel Core i7-6500UAlt
Skylake successor with DDR4 support.
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200UAlt
Newer dual-core with better graphics and modern platform.
Modern 10nm alternative with vastly superior performance.
Compare head-to-head- Alt
Incredible leap in efficiency and speed over Broadwell-U.
Compare head-to-head - Intel Core i5-8250UAlt
8th gen quad-core alternative that outperforms it heavily.
Core i7-5600U
- AMD A8-7100Rival
Mobile APU
- Intel Core i7-5500URival
Mobile Thin & Light
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-5300URival
Mobile Business
- Intel Core i7-6600UAlt
Skylake successor with DDR4 and vPro.
Modern quad-core vPro alternative with massive performance gains.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 4500UAlt
Modern 6-core alternative for business laptops.
Modern 10nm alternative with better efficiency and graphics.
Compare head-to-head- Alt
Revolutionary efficiency and performance for mobile work.
Compare head-to-head
Our Verdict on Each
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 reviewA 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 reviewFrequently 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.