AMD Phenom II X3 720 vs Intel Core i5-3550S

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD Phenom II X3 720 or AMD Phenom II X3 720 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD Phenom II X3 720 features 3 processor cores and has the capability to manage 3 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2009 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD Phenom II series.
To use the AMD Phenom II X3 720, you'll need a motherboard with a AM3 socket.
The Intel Core i5-3550S features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2012 and belongs to the 3 generation of the Intel Core i5 series.
To use the Intel Core i5-3550S, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1155 socket.
AMD Phenom II - 700 Group Intel Core i 3000
3 Generation 3
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
AMD Phenom II X3 720 Name Intel Core i5-3550S
AMD Phenom II Family Intel Core i5
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Phenom II X3 720 has 3 CPU cores and can calculate 3 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Phenom II X3 720 is 2.8 GHz
The Intel Core i5-3550S has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-3550S is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.7 GHz.
No Hyperthreading No
3x Cores 4x
Yes Overclocking No
3 Threads 4
None None 3.7 GHz
3 CPU Cores 4
normal Core architecture normal
2.8 GHz Frequency 3.0 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD Phenom II X3 720 does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i5-3550S has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-3550S uses the Intel HD Graphics 2500, which has 48 texture shaders
and 6 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 48
-- Release date Q2/2012
-- Technology 22 nm
-- Direct X 11.0
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 6
-- GPU frequency 0.65 GHz
-- Generation 7
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.15 GHz
GPU name Intel HD Graphics 2500
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- VP8 No
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode
-- AV1 No
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- VP9 No
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI Yes
DDR3-1333, DDR2-1066 Memory type DDR3-1600
No ECC No
0 bytes Max. Memory 32.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
-- Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 95 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 65 W watts.
95 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The AMD Phenom II X3 720 is manufactured using a 45 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 6.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i5-3550S is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
Q1/2009 Release date Q2/2012
AMD-V Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT
SSE3, SSE4a ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
45 nm Technology 22 nm
-- Chip design Monolithic
-- Release price 197 $
Heka (K10) Architecture Ivy Bridge S
6.0 MB L3-Cache 6.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
AM3 Socket LGA 1155
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes