Intel Core i7-7500U vs Intel Core i7-8550U

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i7-7500U vs Intel Core i7-8550U and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming. Here you can find all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as UserBenchmark, WPrime, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Handbrake, RealBench, PassMark, Prime95, MATLAB, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Blender, 7zip, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

DOOM: Eternal
Cyberpunk 2077
Fortnite
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Borderlands 3
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Overwatch
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Watch Dogs Legion
Apex Legends
Last Man Standing
Death Stranding
Valheim
Valorant
Fallout 76
Halo Infinite
Rainbow Six Siege
Red Dead Redemption 2
Grand Theft Auto V

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8550U or Intel Core i7-7500U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-7500U

51%

Core i7-8550U

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-7500U

51%

Core i7-8550U

52%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.3	91.9
Valorant	102.6	104.4
Cyberpunk 2077	57.4	58.5
Apex Legends	96.4	98.1
Call of Duty Warzone	76.9	78.3
Overwatch	83.1	84.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.8	72.0
DOOM Eternal	51.3	52.2
Warzone	80.0	81.4
Assassin's Creed	86.2	87.7
Valheim	85.1	86.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-7500U

215%

Core i7-8550U

228%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-7500U since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 15W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-7500U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	149	167
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	376	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	354	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	739	1211
Cinbench 23 Single-core	519	979
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2492	3111

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-7500U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	1956	2072
Multi-Core	3649	5970

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-7500U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	971	1027
Multi-Core	2214	3788

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-7500U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Announcement date	October 01, 2016	April 01, 2017
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1356	FC-BGA1356
Core name	Kaby Lake	Kaby Lake R
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	8
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	2.7 MHz	1.8 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1700 millions	1820 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	4 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-7500U is 33% better than Core i7-8550U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-8550U has 2 more core than Core i7-7500U. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-7500U is better: 1
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8550U is better: 28
Although it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-7500U and Intel Core i7-8550U before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-7500U specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.