Intel Core i3-4360T vs Intel Core i7-5500U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unusually one-sided. The Intel Core i3-4360T wins all five head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, with margins ranging from 17.0% to 17.6% over the Intel Core i7-5500U. The consistency of these margins is striking: in Cinebench R15 multicore, the i3-4360T posts 282 points against 240 points, a 17.5% advantage. That same delta repeats almost exactly in Cinebench R20 multicore: 1175 points versus 1000 points, again 17.5% ahead.

Single-core results follow the same pattern. In Cinebench R20 singlecore, the i3-4360T scores 165 points to the i7-5500U's 141, a 17% edge. Cinebench R23 multicore shows 2799 versus 2381, and R23 singlecore shows 395 versus 336, both at 17.6%. The i3-4360T wins every recorded comparison, and the i7-5500U never closes the gap below 17%.

The average benchmark scores reflect this as well. The i3-4360T carries an average score of 963, while the i7-5500U sits at 953. Both processors land in the bottom quarter of the database, with the i3-4360T at the 26th percentile and the i7-5500U at the 25th percentile. The i3-4360T's nearest rivals include the Intel Pentium Gold G5500T at a 0% delta and the AMD A8-9600 at just 0.1% behind. The i7-5500U's closest competitors are the Intel Xeon W3570 and Intel Celeron N5105, each about 0.2% behind it, and the AMD A10-9700E at 0.3% ahead.

What matters here is not just the raw score gap but its uniformity. The i3-4360T maintains roughly a 17.5% edge across every Cinebench iteration, whether the workload is single-core or multi-core, and whether the benchmark is older or newer. That consistency suggests a fundamental performance difference rather than a workload-specific quirk. The i7-5500U does have a Geekbench result in its favor, but no comparable Geekbench score exists for the i3-4360T in the database, so a direct head-to-head in that test cannot be established.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from different Intel microarchitectures and process nodes. The i3-4360T is a Haswell part built on Intel's 22 nm node, while the i7-5500U is a Broadwell-U part on the 14 nm node. The manufacturing process shrunk from 22 nm to 14 nm between them, yet the i3-4360T remains faster in every recorded benchmark.

Transistor counts and die sizes differ sharply. The i3-4360T packs 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The i7-5500U contains 1,300 million transistors on an 82 mm² die. The smaller 14 nm process allowed Intel to fit nearly as many transistors into less than half the silicon area. The i7-5500U's die is just 82 mm² compared to 177 mm² for the i3-4360T, a substantial density advantage for the newer part.

Both processors share the same core topology: 2 physical cores, 4 threads, 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. Cache hierarchy is identical between the two. Memory support is also the same as well, with DDR3 on a dual-channel bus. The i7-5500U lists an explicit memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the i3-4360T has no bandwidth figure recorded in the database.

Clock speeds, however, differ significantly. The i3-4360T has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and no boost clock at all. The i7-5500U starts at 2.40 GHz and boosts up to 3.00 GHz. Even at its maximum boost frequency, the i7-5500U cannot match the i3-4360T's fixed 3.20 GHz, which helps explain the consistent single-core advantage.

Power and platform targets diverge as well. The i3-4360T is a desktop part with a 35 W TDP on Intel Socket 1150. The i7-5500U is a mobile part with a 15 W TDP on Intel BGA 1168, a socket that is soldered rather than upgradeable. The i7-5500U also uses PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes on the CPU only, while the i3-4360T uses PCIe Gen 3. Integrated graphics differ: the i3-4360T carries Intel HD 4600, the i7-5500U carries Intel HD 5500.

The i7-5500U's production status is listed as end-of-life, while the i3-4360T remains active. The i7-5500U has a launch MSRP of $393. The i3-4360T has no recorded launch price.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core Cinebench tests?

A: The Intel Core i3-4360T wins every multi-core Cinebench test. In R15 it scores 282 versus 240, in R20 it scores 1175 versus 1000, and in R23 it scores 2799 versus 2381. The margin is 17.5% in R15 and R20, and 17.6% in R23.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-5500U win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: No. The head-to-head database records 5 wins for the i3-4360T and 0 wins for the i7-5500U. The i7-5500U does have Geekbench scores (1689 multicore, 881 singlecore) in its own benchmark list, but no matching Geekbench score exists for the i3-4360T, so those cannot be compared directly.

Q: How do their clock speeds compare?

A: The i3-4360T runs at a fixed 3.20 GHz with no boost capability. The i7-5500U has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. Even with boost, the i7-5500U reaches a lower maximum frequency than the i3-4360T's base clock.

Q: Are the cache sizes the same?

A: Yes. Both CPUs have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. There is no cache difference between the two.

Q: What process nodes are each processor built on?

A: The i3-4360T is a Haswell part on Intel's 22 nm node. The i7-5500U is a Broadwell-U part on Intel's 14 nm node. The i7-5500U uses the newer, denser process.

Q: Which processor has a higher TDP?

A: The i3-4360T has a 35 W TDP, while the i7-5500U has a 15 W TDP. The i7-5500U is designed for mobile platforms and draws less than half the power.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-4360T | Intel Core i7-5500U |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Haswell | Broadwell |

| Codename | Haswell | Broadwell-U |

| Generation | Core i3 (Haswell) | Core i7 (Broadwell-U) |

| Process node | 22 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | 1,300 million |

| Die size | 177 mm² | 82 mm² |

| Base clock | 3.20 GHz | 2.40 GHz |

| Boost clock | None | 3.00 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | Intel BGA 1168 |

| Memory bandwidth | Not recorded | 25.6 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3 | Gen 2, 12 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated graphics | Intel HD 4600 | Intel HD 5500 |

| Market segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | 2014-07-20 | 2015-02-28 |

| Launch MSRP | Not recorded | $393 |

| Part number | Not recorded | SR23W |

| Avg benchmark score | 963 | 953 |

| Percentile vs all CPUs | 26 | 25 |

The two CPUs share the same core count, thread count, cache layout, memory type, memory bus width, ECC support (none for both), and locked multiplier. The differences above are the only specification gaps in the recorded data.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-4360T wins in every benchmark category where direct comparison is possible. It takes all five Cinebench head-to-head tests, including both single-core and multi-core variants across R15, R20, and R23. The margins are tightly clustered between 17.0% and 17.6%, which means the i3-4360T does not merely edge out the i7-5500U in one workload type; it dominates across the board. The i3-4360T also holds a higher average benchmark score, 963 versus 953, and a slightly better percentile ranking at 26 versus 25. For tasks that depend on sustained CPU throughput, such as rendering, compilation, or any multithreaded workload, the data points entirely to the i3-4360T.

The Intel Core i7-5500U does not win a single head-to-head benchmark, but it has structural advantages in the database that matter for certain use cases. It draws only 15 W compared to 35 W, making it far more suitable for thermally constrained mobile designs. It is built on a smaller 14 nm node with a die size of just 82 mm², which points to lower power density and better efficiency per watt. It also carries a launch MSRP of $393, recorded for the i7-5500U while the i3-4360T has no listed price. The i7-5500U has Geekbench scores (1689 multicore, 881 singlecore) recorded in its benchmark history, and it supports boost up to 3.00 GHz. The i7-5500U also features Intel HD 5500 graphics versus the older HD 4600 in the i3-4360T, a newer integrated GPU on the mobile part.

For a desktop user who cares only about raw compute performance, the i3-4360T is the unambiguous choice. For a laptop or low-power embedded design where the 15 W TDP and compact 82 mm² die are the primary constraints, the i7-5500U is the only realistic option, despite its slower benchmark results. The socket difference reinforces this split: the i3-4360T sits in a socketed desktop platform, while the i7-5500U is soldered on BGA 1168 and belongs to a sealed mobile system.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear performance verdict: the Intel Core i3-4360T is the faster processor in every measurable benchmark category shared between the two. It leads by 17.5% in Cinebench R15 multicore, 17.5% in R20 multicore, 17.6% in R23 multicore, 17% in R20 singlecore, and 17.6% in R23 singlecore. It also has the higher average score (963 versus 953) and the higher percentile rank (26 versus 25). There is no benchmark in the head-to-head set where the i7-5500U closes the gap below 17%, and no test where it wins.

The i7-5500U's case rests entirely on platform attributes rather than computational performance. It is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP, a 14 nm process, and an 82 mm² die, all of which point to efficiency and integration advantages for laptops. It is the only one of the two with a recorded memory bandwidth figure (25.6 GB/s), a boost clock (3.00 GHz), a part number (SR23W), and a launch MSRP ($393). Its production status is end-of-life, while the i3-4360T remains active.

The choice depends on the platform, not the benchmark scores. Anyone building or upgrading a desktop on Intel Socket 1150 with a 35 W power budget should take the i3-4360T without hesitation, as it outperforms the i7-5500U in every recorded computation test. Anyone designing or purchasing a thin-and-light mobile system that requires a 15 W soldered processor should select the i7-5500U, accepting its lower scores in exchange for the lower power envelope and newer integrated graphics. In direct competition on raw speed, the i3-4360T wins all 5 head-to-head comparisons. In direct competition on power efficiency and mobile suitability, the i7-5500U has no recorded rival in this pairing.