i7-5500U vs i7-4960HQ

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1427	2033
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i7
Power efficiency	8.05	11.04
Architecture codename	Crystalwell (2013−2014)	Broadwell-U (2015)
Release date	1 September 2013 (11 years ago)	1 March 2015 (9 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$657	$393

Detailed specifications

Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U 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	2.6 GHz	2.4 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.8 GHz	3 GHz
Bus type	DMI 2.0	no data
Bus rate	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
Multiplier	26	no data
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Die size	264 mm2	82 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	105 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	100 °C	105 °C
Number of transistors	1,400 million	1300 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U 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	1
Socket	FCBGA1364	FCBGA1168
Power consumption (TDP)	47 Watt	15 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

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

Security technologies

Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	+
Identity Protection	+	+
OS Guard	no data	+
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	16 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	25.6 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200	Intel HD Graphics 5500
Max video memory	2 GB	16 GB
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video	no data	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.3 GHz	950 MHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	3
eDP	+	+
DisplayPort	+	+
HDMI	+	+
VGA	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	3840x2160@30Hz	2560x1600@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	3840x2160@60Hz	3840x2160@60Hz
Max resolution over VGA	2880x1800@60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	11.2/12	11.2/12
OpenGL	4.3	4.3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U.

PCIe version	3	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	12

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	4.00	1.75
Integrated graphics card	3.07	1.51
Recency	1 September 2013	1 March 2015
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	47 Watt	15 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4960HQ and Core i7-5500U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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