Intel Pentium E5500

The Intel Pentium E5500 is a desktop processor with 2 cores and 2 threads, running at a base clock of 2.80 GHz with no boost clock. It belongs to Intel's Core 2 architecture under the Wolfdale codename, built on a 45 nm process, and was released in April 2010. The database records an average benchmark score of 309 and a percentile rank of 1, placing it at the bottom of the all-CPU distribution.

Benchmark Performance

The E5500's benchmark profile consists entirely of Cinebench results: 90 in R15 multi-core, 377 in R20 multi-core, 52 in R20 single-core, 898 in R23 multi-core, and 126 in R23 single-core. These scores combine into an average benchmark score of 309. With a percentileVsAllCpus value of 1, the E5500 sits below nearly every other CPU in the database; only 1% of recorded CPUs are ranked beneath it.

The nearest rivals in the database are tightly grouped around the E5500. The AMD A4-3300M averages 310, the Intel Celeron G530T averages 308, the AMD Athlon II X2 240 averages 308, and the Intel Atom E3845 averages 312. The deltaPct values are -0.2 versus the A4-3300M, 0.3 versus the Celeron G530T, 0.5 versus the Athlon II X2 240, and -1 versus the Atom E3845. That means the E5500 is effectively tied with all four rivals; none of the four separates itself from the E5500 by a meaningful performance margin. The entire group, including the E5500, occupies a narrow performance band near the 309-310 mark, with the Atom E3845 only slightly higher at 312.

What stands out in the benchmark data is how consistently low these scores are. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 898 is not a number that suggests modern rendering capability; it is a legacy-class result. The R15 multi-core score of 90 is equally modest. These are not merely low relative to modern CPUs; they are low relative to the database population as a whole, as the 1st-percentile rank confirms.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The split between single- and multi-thread scores is striking. In Cinebench R20, the E5500 scores 52 in single-core and 377 in multi-core. In Cinebench R23, it scores 126 in single-core and 898 in multi-core. The multi-core figures are far larger than the single-core figures in both test generations, which demonstrates that the chip's two threads can be put to substantial use when a workload scales across cores. The data does not explain the exact scaling mechanism, but the practical implication is that threaded applications extract significantly more throughput than single-threaded ones.

For a 2-core, 2-thread processor, this behavior means real-world performance depends heavily on workload threading. Applications that are single-thread-bound will land near the 52 and 126 scores, while applications that can use both threads will land closer to the 377 and 898 scores. That split matters for software selection: older or simpler office tools are often lightly threaded, so they behave more like the single-core scores; modern rendering, video, or batch processing tasks that use all available threads behave more like the multi-core scores. Even so, both ends of the split are low in absolute terms. The 1st-percentile rank means the multi-core advantage is not enough to lift the E5500 out of the bottom tier.

The lack of a boost clock reinforces the single-thread picture. Because boostClock is null, the 2.80 GHz base clock is the maximum frequency; there is no temporary frequency increase to improve single-thread responsiveness. The single-thread scores are therefore a stable ceiling, not a momentary peak.

Who Should Consider It

The E5500 is suited for very light desktop use. For office document editing, simple web tasks, and older productivity software, the 2-core, 2-thread configuration and 2.80 GHz base clock provide a basic level of responsiveness. The 64 KB L1 cache per core and 2 MB shared L2 cache are small by current standards, which further limits heavier multitasking.

For gaming, the database contains no gaming-specific benchmarks for the E5500, so any assessment must be inferred from the Cinebench scores and the 1st-percentile rank. The single-core scores of 52 (R20) and 126 (R23) are low enough that game logic, physics, and simulation-heavy gameplay would likely be constrained. No numerical gaming score is available to confirm this, but the overall ranking places the E5500 far behind the CPUs that typically appear in gaming-oriented analyses.

For content creation, the multi-core scores are the best-case numbers: 377 in R20 and 898 in R23. Those are decidedly limited results for rendering workloads. A creator working with Cinebench-style rendering would be using the full capacity of both threads, yet the final output score still places the processor near the bottom of the database. The E5500 is therefore not a sensible choice for modern rendering, encoding, or compilation work; the data suggests it belongs in basic or auxiliary machines rather than primary workstation builds.

How It Compares

Against the AMD A4-3300M, the E5500 averages 309 versus 310, with a deltaPct of -0.2. The E5500 trails by a fraction of a percent, which is effectively a tie. The two CPUs are interchangeable in terms of average database score.

Against the Intel Celeron G530T, the E5500 averages 309 versus 308, with a deltaPct of 0.3. The E5500 edges ahead by less than half a percent. Again, this is a negligible difference; the two processors belong to the same performance class.

Against the AMD Athlon II X2 240, the E5500 averages 309 versus 308, with a deltaPct of 0.5. This is the largest positive delta among the nearest rivals, yet it is still only a half-percent lead. The E5500 and the Athlon II X2 240 are practical equals.

Against the Intel Atom E3845, the E5500 averages 309 versus 312, with a deltaPct of -1. The Atom E3845 is the only rival in this group to pull ahead, and it does so by the largest margin among the listed rivals. Still, a deltaPct of -1 means the E5500 trails by only one point in the database's percentage-based comparison.

Power and Thermals

The E5500 has a TDP of 65. This is the only power figure in the data, and it places the processor in a modest desktop power class. The lack of a boost clock means there is no turbo-like frequency state to raise power demand intermittently; the 2.80 GHz base clock is also the maximum frequency.

The chip is built on Intel's 45 nm process with 228 million transistors on an 82 mm² die. For a 2-core desktop part, that combination suggests a modest thermal footprint. The database does not include thermal measurements, but a 65 TDP class with only two threads at 2.80 GHz points to a straightforward cooling solution rather than a high-end thermal requirement. The power and thermal story is consistent with the performance story: this is a low-tier, low-demand desktop part.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Pentium E5500 use?

A: It uses Intel Socket 775.

Q: Does it support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported. The memory support list is DDR1, DDR2, and DDR3 on a dual-channel bus.

Q: Does the E5500 have integrated graphics?

A: The integrated graphics field says "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)", meaning the motherboard chipset can provide graphics on some boards, but the CPU itself does not guarantee a built-in GPU.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No, multiplierUnlocked is false, so the CPU does not offer multiplier-based overclocking.

Q: What are the Cinebench R23 scores?

A: The R23 multi-core score is 898 and the R23 single-core score is 126.

Q: Is the processor still in production?

A: No, production status is end-of-life. It was released in April 2010.

Platform and Compatibility

The E5500 is a Socket 775 processor, placing it in Intel's Core 2 desktop platform generation. Memory support is unusually broad for the database: DDR1, DDR2, and DDR3, all on a dual-channel bus. ECC memory is not supported. The PCIe interface is Gen 2.

Integrated graphics are not a core part of the CPU's own silicon; the data lists it as a chipset feature on certain motherboards. That means display output depends on the motherboard's chipset rather than being guaranteed by the processor. The listed part number is SLGTJ.

Upgrade path considerations are limited by several factors. The production status is end-of-life, so this is a legacy desktop platform. The multiplier is locked, which removes multiplier-based overclocking as an avenue to improve performance. Because the socket is 775, any potential upgrade would have to be another Socket 775 processor from the same platform generation, but the database does not list any specific upgrade model. The E5500 remains a fixed-performance part in a platform that the data marks as no longer in production.