i5-2520M vs i7-8550U

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1463	2222
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i5
Power efficiency	24.29	3.81
Architecture codename	Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	21 August 2017 (7 years ago)	1 February 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$409	$225

Detailed specifications

Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	4 (Quad-Core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	8	4
Base clock speed	1.8 GHz	2.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.2 GHz
Bus type	OPI	DMI 2.0
Bus rate	4 GT/s	4 × 5 GT/s
Multiplier	18	25
L1 cache	256 KB	128 KB
L2 cache	1 MB	512 KB
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	3 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Die size	123 mm2	149 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	624 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1 (Uniprocessor)	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCBGA1356,FC-BGA1356	PPGA988
Power consumption (TDP)	15 Watt	35 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® AVX
AES-NI	+	+
FMA	-	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	+	no data
My WiFi	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	+
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	no data	-
FDI	no data	+
Fast Memory Access	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	+
SGX	Yes with Intel® ME	no data
OS Guard	+	no data
Anti-Theft	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	+
VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	16 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	38.397 GB/s	21.335 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel UHD Graphics 620	Intel HD Graphics 3000
Max video memory	32 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video	+	no data
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.15 GHz	1.3 GHz
InTru 3D	no data	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	2
eDP	+	+
DisplayPort	+	+
HDMI	+	+
DVI	+	no data
SDVO	no data	+
CRT	no data	+

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	+	no data
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096 x 2304@24Hz	no data
Max resolution over eDP	4096 x 2304@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	4096 x 2304@60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	12	no data
OpenGL	4.4	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	12	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	3.85	1.41
Integrated graphics card	2.67	0.66
Recency	21 August 2017	1 February 2011
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	15 Watt	35 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-8550U and Core i5-2520M, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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