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Intel Core i7-5557U

Intel Core i7-5557U Broadwell: Outdated but Still Alive? Review and Recommendations for 2025

Introduction

The Intel Core i7-5557U, released in 2015, became part of the fifth generation of Broadwell architecture. Despite its age, devices equipped with this CPU still appear on the market—mainly in the form of budget laptops or refurbished models. In 2025, its relevance raises questions, but it may still be useful for certain scenarios. Let’s explore who should pay attention to it and who should look toward modern solutions.

Architecture and Manufacturing Process: Legacy of the 14 nm Era

Cores, Threads, and Basic Structure

The Core i7-5557U is a dual-core processor with Hyper-Threading support (4 threads), built on a 14 nm manufacturing process. It was one of the first Intel chips with a reduced 14 nm technology node, which allowed for lower power consumption while maintaining performance.

- Base Frequency: 3.1 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz

- Cache: 4 MB L3

- Integrated Graphics: Iris Graphics 6100 (48 EU, 300–1100 MHz)

The Broadwell architecture brought a 5% improvement in IPC (instructions per cycle) compared to Haswell, and the Iris 6100 iGPU at the time surpassed the HD graphics of competitors. However, in 2025, even budget APU AMD Ryzen 3 7300U or Intel Core i3-N305 offer double the cores and more modern technologies.

Power Consumption and TDP: A Compromise between Power and Battery Life

With a TDP of 28W, the i7-5557U stands out among modern ultrabook CPUs with a TDP of 15W. This means:

- Advantage: Higher sustained performance under load

- Disadvantage: Increased heat and noise from cooling systems in thin cases

- Reality in 2025: Most new laptops with such TDP are geared towards hybrid devices with active cooling.

For comparison: the modern Intel Core i5-1235U (10 nm, 10 cores) at TDP 15W shows a 2–3 times higher multi-thread performance.

Performance: What Can Broadwell Achieve in 2025?

Office Tasks and Everyday Use

- Google Docs, Excel, Browser: The processor handles light scenarios well, but hangs may occur with 10+ tabs open in Chrome.

- Video Calls: Sufficient for Zoom/Teams, but background tasks (like screen streaming) may introduce lag.

Multimedia

- 4K Video: Decoding via iGPU works, but rendering in editors (such as DaVinci Resolve) will be agonizing.

- Photo Editors: Lightroom on basic presets is tolerable, but neural filters (like object removal) are not recommended.

Gaming

- Iris 6100: In 2025, suitable only for indie games (Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley) at low settings.

- Turbo Mode: Brief frequency boosts aid in short bursts (like opening a heavy PDF), but prolonged tasks (rendering) lead to throttling due to overheating.

Use Cases: Who is the i7-5557U Relevant for in 2025?

1. Students: For studying, working with texts, and presentations.

2. Secondary Device: As a compact laptop for travel.

3. Budget Purchases: New devices with this CPU occasionally sell for $300–400, but more often, they are refurbished models priced at $200–250.

Not Suitable For:

- 4K video editing

- Modern gaming (even Fortnite on minimum settings will lag)

- Working with AI tools

Battery Life: How Long Will It Last?

With a battery capacity of 50 Wh (typical for ultrabooks from 2015–2017), the runtime in 2025 will amount to:

- Web Browsing: 5–6 hours (decreased due to battery degradation)

- Idle State: Up to 8 hours.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep — dynamic frequency adjustment

- C-states for shutting down unused blocks

- However, compared to modern chips (like the Apple M2), energy efficiency appears weak: M2 performs 2–3 times longer for similar tasks.

Comparison with Competitors: How Does It Stack Up?

1. AMD A10-9600P (2016):

- Weaker single-core performance but 4 cores

- Radeon R5 graphics — on par with Iris 6100.

2. Apple MacBook Air 2015 (Core i5-5250U):

- Similar performance, but macOS is better optimized for older chips.

3. Modern Analogues (2025):

- Intel Processor N200 (6W TDP): Cheaper, cooler, but multi-threaded performance is on par

- AMD Ryzen 3 7300U: 4 cores/8 threads, integrated Radeon 740M graphics — 3 times faster than Iris 6100.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- High single-core performance for its generation

- Quality build of older laptops (e.g., MacBook Pro 13" 2015)

- Low cost on the secondary market.

Weaknesses:

- Only 2 cores — limited multitasking capabilities

- Lack of support for modern standards (USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E)

- Risk of purchasing a device with a worn-out battery.

Laptop Selection Recommendations

If you are considering a device with the i7-5557U in 2025:

1. Type of Device: Ultrabook with a 13–14 inch display (for example, Dell XPS 13 9343).

2. Essential Checks:

- Battery condition (via utilities like CoconutBattery)

- Presence of SSD (HDDs in 2025 are a hassle)

- Ports (preferably at least 1 USB 3.0 and HDMI).

3. Price: Don’t overpay. New "old" laptops with this CPU shouldn't cost more than $400, and used ones more than $250.

Tip: For the same $400–500, you can find a laptop with Intel Core i3-1215U (2022) or AMD Ryzen 3 5425U — they will serve you longer.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-5557U in 2025 is an option for very tight budgets or retro hardware enthusiasts. It should only be considered if:

- A cheap device for basic tasks is needed

- A model in excellent condition with a new battery is found

- You’re prepared to accept the lack of future updates and slow performance for demanding tasks.

Key Benefits: Minimal price, reliability (if the device has survived for 10 years), compactness. But for most users, opting for modern processors (even budget ones) will be wiser.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

March 2015

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i7-5557U

Code Name

Broadwell

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

3.10 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.40 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.40 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

L3 Cache

4 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1168

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

28 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

105°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

2.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

4x1 | 2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR3L 1333/1600 | LPDDR3 1600/1866

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

16 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

5 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

25.6 GB/s

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® Iris® Graphics 6100

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

300 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.10 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

16 GB

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

11.2/12

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

2560x1600@60Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

3840x2160@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

4 MB

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.3

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1028

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

2035

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

841

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1843

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1904

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3081

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-7100T

1109 +7.9%

Ryzen 3 PRO 1300

1076 +4.7%

Core i7-5557U

1028

Ryzen Embedded V1756B

977 -5%

Xeon E3-1240 v3

925 -10%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Celeron G6900T

2457 +20.7%

Athlon 240GE

2232 +9.7%

Core i7-5557U

2035

Core i5-3570

1858 -8.7%

Ryzen Embedded R1606G

1707 -16.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-6402P

875 +4%

Core i7-7700HQ

859 +2.1%

Core i7-5557U

841

Ryzen 3 5125C

824 -2%

Xeon E7-8860 v4

808 -3.9%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

EPYC 7401P

2100 +13.9%

Ryzen 5 3450U

1967 +6.7%

Core i7-5557U

1843

Xeon E5-2683 v3

1689 -8.4%

Core i5-6300U

1593 -13.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-6400

1960 +2.9%

Ryzen Embedded R2514

1933 +1.5%

Core i7-5557U

1904

Core i5-3450S

1873 -1.6%

Ryzen 5 2500U

1822 -4.3%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

A10-7870K

3422 +11.1%

Pentium Gold G5500T

3259 +5.8%

Core i7-5557U

3081

Athlon X4 760K

2948 -4.3%

Core i5-8210Y

2780 -9.8%