Intel Core i5-3550 vs Intel Core i5-10600K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i5-3550 or Intel Core i5-3550 – 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 Intel Core i5-3550 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 i5-3550, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1155 socket.
The Intel Core i5-10600K features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2020 and belongs to the 10 generation of the Intel Core i5 series.
To use the Intel Core i5-10600K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1200 socket.
Intel Core i5 Family Intel Core i5
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
3 Generation 10
Intel Core i5-3550 Name Intel Core i5-10600K
Intel Core i 3000 Group Intel Core i 10000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i5-3550 has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-3550 is 3.3 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.7 GHz.
The Intel Core i5-10600K has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-10600K is 4.1 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.8 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
3.7 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.8 GHz
4x Cores 6x
4 Threads 12
4 CPU Cores 6
normal Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking Yes
3.3 GHz Frequency 4.1 GHz
None None 4.5 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i5-3550 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-3550 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.
The Intel Core i5-10600K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-10600K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
6 Execution units 24
7 Generation 9.5
11.0 Direct X 12
48 Shaders 192
2.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
0.65 GHz GPU frequency 0.35 GHz
22 nm Technology 14 nm
Q2/2012 Release date Q4/2017
-- Max. displays --
1.15 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.2 GHz
Intel HD Graphics 2500 GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 630
 
 

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.
Decode / Encode AVC Decode / Encode
No VP8 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
No VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode JPEG Decode / Encode
Decode VC-1 Decode
No AV1 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.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 45.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
32.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
No ECC No
Yes AES-NI Yes
2 Memory channels 2
pci PCIe pci
25.6 GB/s Bandwidth 45.8 GB/s
DDR3-1600 Memory type DDR4-2666
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 77 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 125 W watts.
-- Tjunction max 100 °C
77 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
None TDP down 95 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i5-3550 is manufactured using a 22 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 i5-10600K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 12.0 MB cache.
6.0 MB L3-Cache 12.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
213 $ Release price 262 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
Q2/2012 Release date Q2/2020
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
VT-x, VT-x EPT Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
-- Part Number --
Ivy Bridge S Architecture Comet Lake S
22 nm Technology 14 nm
LGA 1155 Socket LGA 1200
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i5-10600K
6C 12T @ 4.1 GHz
7169
7169
Intel Core i5-3550
4C 4T @ 3.3 GHz
2237
2237

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i5-10600K
6C 12T @ 4.1 GHz
6877
6877
Intel Core i5-3550
4C 4T @ 3.3 GHz
2741
2741

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i5-10600K
6C 12T @ 4.1 GHz
4049
4049
Intel Core i5-3550
4C 4T @ 3.3 GHz
1402
1402

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i5-10600K
6C 12T @ 4.1 GHz
1581
1581
Intel Core i5-3550
4C 4T @ 3.3 GHz
724
724