Intel Core i5-3330S vs Intel Core i7-5557U Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-3330S and Intel Core i7-5557U split their benchmark victories in a way that maps directly to their design philosophies. The desktop-oriented i5-3330S takes five of the seven recorded head-to-head wins, while the mobile-focused i7-5557U counters with two decisive victories.

The i5-3330S dominates every Cinebench test, across both multi-core and single-core workloads. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it posts 335 points versus 270 for the i7-5557U, a 24.1% advantage. That pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the i5-3330S scores 1396 against 1126, and in Cinebench R23 multi-core with 3326 versus 2682, both at 24% deltas. Even in single-core Cinebench tests, the older desktop chip stays ahead: Cinebench R20 single-core shows 196 versus 158, and R23 shows 469 versus 378, each a 24.1% edge.

The i7-5557U, however, is not without its own territory. In Geekbench multi-core, it scores 2099 against 1625, a 22.6% margin in its favor. The gap widens dramatically in Geekbench single-core, where the i7-5557U posts 1060 versus 549, a 48.2% lead. These are not marginal differences; they are the largest swings in the entire comparison.

The database's percentile rankings place both chips near the lower-middle of the CPU landscape: the i5-3330S sits at the 32nd percentile of all CPUs, while the i7-5557U ranks at the 31st. Their average benchmark scores are close, 1128 for the i5-3330S and 1110 for the i7-5557U, which explains why they are compared at all. The real story is workload-dependent: sustained rendering and compute favor the quad-core desktop part, while memory-bandwidth-sensitive and latency-sensitive single-threaded tasks favor the newer mobile part.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and different market segments. The i5-3330S is built on Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture, a 22 nm process, and was released in September 2012. It targets the desktop market with an Intel Socket 1155 interface and a 77 W TDP. The i7-5557U uses the Broadwell architecture, specifically Broadwell-U, on a 14 nm node, released in February 2015. It is a mobile part with a 28 W TDP and an Intel BGA 1168 socket, and its production status is listed as end-of-life.

Core counts differ fundamentally. The i5-3330S has four physical cores and four threads, no hyper-threading. The i7-5557U has two physical cores and four threads, relying on hyper-threading to reach its thread count. This core deficit is partially offset by the newer microarchitecture and higher clocks: the i7-5557U runs at a 3.10 GHz base and 3.40 GHz boost, while the i5-3330S sits at 2.70 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost.

Cache configurations also diverge. Both share 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but the L3 cache differs: the i5-3330S has 6 MB shared, while the i7-5557U has 4 MB shared. The i7-5557U compensates with a stated memory bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s, a figure not listed for the i5-3330S. Both support DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus, and neither supports ECC.

PCIe connectivity shows the generational gap. The i5-3330S offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The i7-5557U steps down to PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics also differ: the i5-3330S carries Intel HD 2500, while the i7-5557U includes Intel Iris 6100, a substantially more capable integrated GPU for its era.

Transistor count is listed only for the i7-5557U at 1,900 million, though both chips share the same die size of 133 mm². This highlights how much denser the 14 nm process is compared to the 22 nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data tells a clear story of a split personality. In Cinebench workloads, the i5-3330S is the clear winner across all four recorded tests. The R15 multi-core result of 335 versus 270 gives the i5-3330S a 24.1% margin. The R20 multi-core test shows 1396 versus 1126, a 24% edge. The R23 multi-core test shows 3326 versus 2682, also 24%. Single-core results follow the same pattern: R20 single-core at 196 versus 158, and R23 single-core at 469 versus 378, both 24.1% in favor of the i5-3330S.

The Geekbench results invert the picture. In Geekbench multi-core, the i7-5557U scores 2099 versus 1625, a 22.6% advantage. In Geekbench single-core, the margin is a lopsided 48.2%, with the i7-5557U scoring 1060 versus the i5-3330S's 549. This is the single largest delta in the entire comparison.

Interpreting these numbers requires understanding what each benchmark measures. Cinebench is a rendering workload that scales with raw core count and sustained throughput. The i5-3330S's four physical cores provide a structural advantage that the i7-5557U's two cores plus hyper-threading cannot overcome, despite the newer architecture. Geekbench, particularly its single-core test, rewards memory latency, branch prediction, and per-clock efficiency, areas where the Broadwell architecture delivers a massive improvement over Ivy Bridge.

The net average benchmark scores confirm the overall parity: 1128 for the i5-3330S and 1110 for the i7-5557U. The nearest rivals for each chip also cluster tightly. The i5-3330S's closest competitors are the Intel Core i7-2720QM at 1128 (0% delta), the Intel Core i3-1115GRE at 1127 (0.1%), and the Intel Core i7-3612QM and i5-4690T both at 1129 (-0.1%). The i7-5557U's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E5630 at 1110 (0%), the Xeon E5-2609 v3 at 1109 (0.1%), and the Core i5-4570T at 1108 (0.2%). Both chips sit in a dense performance cluster where tiny percentage swings separate dozens of processors.

Specification Differences

The specification sheet reveals several areas where the two chips diverge, beyond the obvious core and thread counts.

Cores and Threads: The i5-3330S has 4 cores and 4 threads. The i7-5557U has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Base and Boost Clocks: The i5-3330S runs at 2.70 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. The i7-5557U runs at 3.10 GHz base and 3.40 GHz boost.

TDP: The i5-3330S has a 77 W TDP. The i7-5557U has a 28 W TDP.

Socket: The i5-3330S uses Intel Socket 1155. The i7-5557U uses Intel BGA 1168.

Process Node: The i5-3330S is on 22 nm. The i7-5557U is on 14 nm.

L3 Cache: The i5-3330S has 6 MB shared. The i7-5557U has 4 MB shared.

Memory Bandwidth: The i5-3330S does not list a figure. The i7-5557U lists 29.9 GB/s.

PCIe: The i5-3330S supports Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The i7-5557U supports Gen 2 with 12 lanes.

Integrated Graphics: The i5-3330S has Intel HD 2500. The i7-5557U has Intel Iris 6100.

Transistors: The i5-3330S does not list a count. The i7-5557U lists 1,900 million.

Release Date: The i5-3330S launched September 2, 2012. The i7-5557U launched February 28, 2015.

Market Segment: The i5-3330S is a desktop part. The i7-5557U is a mobile part.

Production Status: The i5-3330S has no listed status. The i7-5557U is listed as end-of-life.

Launch MSRP: The i5-3330S has no listed MSRP. The i7-5557U has a launch MSRP of $426.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Core i5-3330S has four physical cores, while the Intel Core i7-5557U has two physical cores. Both support four threads, but the i7-5557U relies on hyper-threading to reach that count.

Q: Why does the i7-5557U win Geekbench single-core by such a large margin?

A: The data shows a 48.2% advantage for the i7-5557U in Geekbench single-core. This reflects the newer Broadwell architecture, which provides higher per-clock efficiency and better memory latency handling compared to the older Ivy Bridge design.

Q: Is the i5-3330S always faster in multi-core workloads?

A: No. The i5-3330S is faster in all Cinebench multi-core tests, but the i7-5557U wins Geekbench multi-core by 22.6%. The results depend on the benchmark's workload characteristics.

Q: What are the TDP differences between these two chips?

A: The i5-3330S has a TDP of 77 W, while the i7-5557U has a TDP of 28 W. The mobile part consumes significantly less power, which is expected given its lower core count and newer process node.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The i5-3330S has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i7-5557U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache. Despite the smaller cache, the i7-5557U posts higher Geekbench scores, suggesting architectural efficiency compensates for the reduced cache size.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i5-3330S has an average benchmark score of 1128, while the i7-5557U has an average of 1110. This is a difference of 1.6%, placing them at the 32nd and 31st percentiles of all CPUs, respectively.