CPU Comparison
Core i7-5500U vs Core i7-5650U
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 basic tasks, but dual-core limits heavy work.
Gaming
Only capable of running very old or lightweight 2D games.
HD 6000 is better than standard, but still weak for gaming.
Virtualization
Not recommended for VMs due to dual-core limitation.
Not recommended for VMs.
Efficiency
Good efficiency for 2015, but poor compared to modern chips.
Good efficiency, though the larger GPU increases idle power slightly.
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
- Can handle older games at 720p
- HD 6000 is a step up but still weak
- Not for modern AAA gaming
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
- Better integrated graphics than standard U-series
- Low 15W TDP
- Supports faster 1866 MT/s DDR3
- Good for media playback
Cons
- Only 2 cores
- Outdated DDR3 memory
- Weak for modern multitasking
- Soldered to motherboard
- Short market lifespan
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 i7-5650U
- AMD A10-7300Rival
Mobile APU
- Intel Core i7-5550URival
Mobile Thin & Light
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-5250URival
Mobile Thin & Light
- Intel Core i7-6560UAlt
Skylake successor with Iris graphics and DDR4.
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500UAlt
Modern 6-core alternative with Vega graphics.
- Alt
Massive leap in efficiency and graphics performance.
Compare head-to-head Modern 10nm alternative with Iris Plus graphics.
Compare head-to-headCoffee Lake-U with Iris Plus and much higher performance.
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 strong Broadwell-U chip that offered better graphics than standard models, making it ideal for premium ultrabooks needing a graphical edge.
Best for: Buying a used MacBook Air for basic typing and media consumption.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Core i7-5500U or Core i7-5650U?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Core i7-5650U 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.
Which is faster for gaming, Core i7-5500U or Core i7-5650U?
For gaming, the Core i7-5650U leads with a gaming performance score of 25/100 among Core i7-5500U and Core i7-5650U.
Do Core i7-5500U and Core i7-5650U use the same socket?
Yes — all of these CPUs use the Intel BGA 1168 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.