i3-550 vs i7-720QM

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2424	2443
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	no data	0.07
Market segment	Laptop	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7	no data
Power efficiency	2.19	1.31
Architecture codename	Clarksfield (2009−2010)	Clarkdale (2010−2011)
Release date	24 June 2009 (15 years ago)	30 May 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$546	$101

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550 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	1.6 GHz	3.2 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.8 GHz	3.2 GHz
Bus type	DMI 1.0	no data
Bus rate	2.5 GT/s	2.5 GT/s
Multiplier	12	no data
L1 cache	256 KB	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	1 MB	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	6 MB (shared)	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	45 nm	32 nm
Die size	296 mm2	81 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	73 °C
Number of transistors	774 million	382 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550 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
Socket	FCPGA988,PGA988	FCLGA1156
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	73 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	Intel® SSE4.2
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Demand Based Switching	no data	-
PAE	36 Bit	36 Bit
FDI	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	no data
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333	DDR3
Maximum memory size	8 GB	16.38 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21.335 GB/s	21 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	None	Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors
Clear Video HD	no data	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

2

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550.

PCIe version	2	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	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	1.08	1.05
Recency	24 June 2009	30 May 2010
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	45 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	73 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-720QM and Core i3-550, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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