Intel Core i5-3380M vs Intel Core i7-5550U Comparison

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the Intel Core i5-3380M in every recorded benchmark. Across all five head-to-head tests, the i5-3380M posts higher scores, with margins ranging from 5.9% to 6.5%. The i7-5550U, despite its newer architecture and lower power envelope, does not win a single comparison in this database. For users prioritizing raw compute performance in Cinebench workloads, the i5-3380M is the straightforward choice.

However, the i7-5550U is not without merit. Its 15W TDP compared to the i5-3380M's 35W TDP indicates a significantly more power-efficient design, which matters for extended battery life and thinner chassis designs. The i7-5550U also carries a larger 4 MB shared L3 cache versus 3 MB, and a more advanced integrated GPU. Users who value efficiency and newer platform features over peak multi-threaded output should consider the i7-5550U, but they must accept a consistent, albeit modest, performance deficit in the tests recorded here.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural eras and manufacturing nodes. The i5-3380M is built on Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture using a 22 nm process, while the i7-5550U uses the newer Broadwell architecture on a 14 nm node. The die sizes illustrate the shift: the i5-3380M measures 118 mm², whereas the i7-5550U is slightly larger at 133 mm², housing 1,900 million transistors.

Both chips feature 2 physical cores and 4 threads, so the fundamental compute width is identical. The cache hierarchy differs in the shared L3 portion: the i5-3380M has 3 MB (shared), while the i7-5550U offers 4 MB (shared). Per-core L1 and L2 caches are the same at 64 KB and 256 KB respectively. Memory support is DDR3 dual-channel for both, but the i7-5550U has a rated memory bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s, a figure not listed for the i5-3380M.

The integrated graphics differ notably. The i5-3380M pairs with Intel HD 4000, while the i7-5550U includes Intel HD 6000. The i7-5550U also supports PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes (CPU only), a detail absent from the i5-3380M's record. Socket compatibility diverges completely: the i5-3380M uses Intel Socket G2 (988B), whereas the i7-5550U uses Intel BGA 1168, meaning they are not interchangeable in any system.

Clock speeds favor the older chip in base and boost frequencies. The i5-3380M runs at 2.90 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost. The i7-5550U is rated at 2.00 GHz base and 3.00 GHz boost. This clock advantage explains part of the i5-3380M's benchmark lead, even though the i7-5550U benefits from a newer microarchitecture and more L3 cache.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-3380M wins in every single-core and multi-core test recorded in the database. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 252 against 238, a 5.9% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multicore, the gap is again 5.9% (1051 vs 992). Single-core tests show a slightly larger lead: 6.5% in Cinebench R20 singlecore (148 vs 139) and 6% in Cinebench R23 singlecore (353 vs 333). The i5-3380M also dominates the Geekbench results, with 1055 multicore and 505 singlecore scores, though the i7-5550U has no corresponding Geekbench entries for direct comparison.

For users running Cinebench-style rendering or CPU-intensive tasks, the i5-3380M is the better performer across the board. The consistent 6% delta suggests a structural advantage, likely from higher clock speeds, rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The i7-5550U's strengths lie outside the recorded benchmark suite. Its 15W TDP is less than half of the i5-3380M's 35W, making it more suitable for fanless or ultraportable designs. The newer Broadwell architecture brings a smaller process node and a larger L3 cache, which could benefit certain memory-latency-sensitive workloads, but the database shows no such advantage materializing in the tested Cinebench scenarios. The Intel HD 6000 graphics are a newer generation than HD 4000, potentially offering better media and display capabilities, but no GPU benchmarks are recorded here to quantify that.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The i5-3380M has an average benchmark score of 838, while the i7-5550U averages 813. The i5-3380M sits in the 22nd percentile of all CPUs, and the i7-5550U also sits in the 22nd percentile.

Q: Does the i7-5550U win any of the head-to-head benchmark tests?

A: No. The i7-5550U records zero wins across the five head-to-head tests. The i5-3380M wins all five, with delta percentages between 5.9% and 6.5%.

Q: How does the i5-3380M compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The i5-3380M is nearly tied with the Intel Core i5-5200U (0.1% ahead) and the Intel Xeon X3450 (0.1% ahead). It is 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon X5470 and 0.3% behind the Intel Core i7-920.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two processors?

A: The i5-3380M has a 35W TDP, while the i7-5550U has a 15W TDP. The i7-5550U consumes less than half the power budget, indicating significantly better energy efficiency.

Q: What are the launch details for these CPUs?

A: The i5-3380M was released on December 31, 2012, with no launch MSRP recorded. The i7-5550U was released on February 28, 2015, with a launch MSRP of $426, and its production status is listed as end-of-life.

Q: Which CPU has a larger L3 cache?

A: The i7-5550U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, whereas the i5-3380M has 3 MB. The i7-5550U also has a smaller process node (14 nm vs 22 nm) and a larger die (133 mm² vs 118 mm²).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive victory for the i5-3380M comes in the Cinebench R20 singlecore test, where it scores 148 against the i7-5550U's 139, a 6.5% margin. This is the largest relative gap in the dataset. In multicore tests, the i5-3380M leads by 5.9% in both Cinebench R15 (252 vs 238) and Cinebench R20 (1051 vs 992). The Cinebench R23 tests show a consistent 6% advantage for the i5-3380M in both multicore (2504 vs 2363) and singlecore (353 vs 333) workloads.

The Geekbench results reinforce the pattern, though they are not part of the paired head-to-head table. The i5-3380M records 1055 in Geekbench multicore and 505 in singlecore. The i7-5550U has no Geekbench entries in its record, so a direct comparison for that test cannot be made.

Interpreting these numbers, the i5-3380M's advantage is uniform and modest. A 6% delta in Cinebench workloads is noticeable but not transformative; for a user upgrading from one to the other, the performance difference would be perceptible in rendering tasks but not night-and-day. The i7-5550U's higher L3 cache and newer architecture do not translate into a win in any recorded test, suggesting that the i5-3380M's higher clock speeds (2.90 GHz base, 3.60 GHz boost vs 2.00 GHz base, 3.00 GHz boost) are the dominant factor in these workloads.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in several key specifications. The process node is 22 nm for the i5-3380M and 14 nm for the i7-5550U. The i7-5550U has 1,900 million transistors, a figure not listed for the i5-3380M. Die size is 118 mm² for the i5-3380M and 133 mm² for the i7-5550U.

Clock speeds show the i5-3380M at 2.90 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost, versus the i7-5550U's 2.00 GHz base and 3.00 GHz boost. TDP is 35W for the i5-3380M and 15W for the i7-5550U. Sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket G2 (988B) for the i5-3380M, Intel BGA 1168 for the i7-5550U.

L3 cache is 3 MB (shared) on the i5-3380M and 4 MB (shared) on the i7-5550U. The integrated graphics differ: Intel HD 4000 versus Intel HD 6000. Memory bandwidth is only listed for the i7-5550U at 29.9 GB/s. PCIe support is only listed for the i7-5550U as Gen 2, 12 Lanes (CPU only). The i7-5550U has a launch MSRP of $426; the i5-3380M has no recorded launch MSRP. Release dates are December 31, 2012 for the i5-3380M and February 28, 2015 for the i7-5550U. The i7-5550U is marked as end-of-life, while the i5-3380M has no production status listed.