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Intel Core i7-5600U

Intel Core i7-5600U: A Compact Processor for Mobility and Everyday Tasks

Overview of the 2015 Processor in the Context of 2025

Architecture and Process Technology: A Balance Between Efficiency and Performance

The Intel Core i7-5600U, released in 2015, belongs to the Broadwell generation and is manufactured using a 14-nanometer process technology. This was a significant advancement from the 22-nm Haswell architecture, allowing for reduced power consumption and improved thermal characteristics.

Key Specs:

- Cores and Threads: 2 physical cores with Hyper-Threading support (4 threads).

- Clock Speeds: Base clock of 2.6 GHz, maximum in Turbo Boost mode of 3.2 GHz.

- Cache: L3 cache of 4 MB, which was standard for dual-core processors of that time.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500 with 24 execution units (EU) and clock speeds up to 950 MHz.

The Broadwell architecture optimized instructions per clock (IPC), enhancing performance in single-thread tasks. However, the two-core limitation kept multithreading as a weak point. The HD 5500 GPU supported DirectX 11.2 and 4K output via DisplayPort, but it was only suitable for the most undemanding games.

Power Consumption and TDP: An Ideal Choice for Ultrabooks

The processor's TDP (Thermal Design Power) is 15 W, making it perfect for thin laptops and ultrabooks. Compared to more powerful chips (such as the 45-watt Core i7-H series), the i7-5600U emits less heat, allowing for passive cooling or compact coolers.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamically adjusts frequency and voltage based on load.

- Turbo Boost 2.0: Temporarily increases frequency to 3.2 GHz for intensive tasks.

- C-States: Manages power consumption during idle periods.

These technologies enable the processor to operate for 8 to 10 hours in devices with a battery capacity of 50-60 Wh (for example, the Dell XPS 13 from 2015), but in modern 2025 laptops with optimized operating systems and larger batteries, battery life may exceed these figures.

Performance: Suitable for Office and Multimedia, but Not for Gaming

Geekbench 6 (2023 Test):

- Single-Core: 911 points.

- Multi-Core: 1728 points.

Real-World Scenarios:

- Office Tasks: Document editing, browser (10+ tabs), video conferencing — the processor handles these without lag.

- Multimedia: Playback of 4K video, streaming, basic photo editing in Lightroom.

- Gaming: Only light games at 720p/1080p resolution (e.g., Minecraft, Dota 2 on low settings — 30–40 FPS).

Turbo Boost Mode: Under heavy single-core load (e.g., file archiving), the frequency rises to 3.2 GHz, but under prolonged load, throttling may occur due to overheating in compact chassis.

Use Cases: Who is the Core i7-5600U Suitable for in 2025?

This processor is relevant for:

1. Students and Office Workers: Working with text, spreadsheets, presentations, and using Zoom/Teams.

2. Users Who Value Portability: Ultrabooks weighing up to 1.3 kg (e.g., Lenovo ThinkPad X250).

3. The Second-Hand Market: Laptops with i7-5600U can be found in 2025 for $200–$300 in refurbished condition.

Not Suitable For:

- Professional video editing or 3D rendering.

- Modern gaming (even indie projects like Hades require more powerful graphics).

Battery Life: How Does the Processor Affect Running Time?

With a TDP of 15 W and support for power-saving technologies, laptops with the i7-5600U in 2025 could demonstrate the following results:

- Web/Video Browsing: Up to 10–12 hours (at a screen brightness of 150 nits and a 60 Wh battery).

- Work in Office Applications: 8–9 hours.

- Idle (sleep mode): Up to 2 weeks in Connected Standby.

Tip: For maximum battery life, choose models with low-resolution IPS screens (1366x768) and SSDs instead of HDDs.

Comparison with Competitors: How Does It Stack Up Against AMD and Apple?

AMD A10-8700P (2015):

- 4 cores/4 threads, but weaker in single-core performance (Geekbench 6: ~700/2200).

- Radeon R6 graphics are more powerful than HD 5500, but TDP is between 15-35 W.

Apple A8 (2014):

- Used in the MacBook 12" 2015. Single-Core: ~800, Multi-Core: ~1400.

- Better optimization for macOS but limited software compatibility.

Intel Core i5-5200U (Comparable):

- Lower clock speeds (2.2–2.7 GHz), but in 2025, the difference from the i7-5600U is minimal.

Conclusion: The i7-5600U remains competitive in the basic tasks segment but lags behind modern 12th-generation Intel chips (e.g., Core i5-1235U) in multithreading.

Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Considering in 2025?

Pros:

- Low power consumption and compact size.

- Sufficient performance for everyday tasks.

- Affordable price on the second-hand market.

Cons:

- 2 cores limit multitasking capabilities.

- Weak graphics for modern applications.

- Lack of support for DDR5 and Thunderbolt 4.

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

If you are considering devices with the i7-5600U in 2025, pay attention to:

1. Device Type: Ultrabooks or business laptops (Dell Latitude, HP EliteBook).

2. Screen: Full HD (1920x1080) for comfortable work.

3. Storage: Make sure it has an SSD (minimum 256 GB).

4. Ports: USB 3.0, HDMI for connecting monitors.

Examples of Models from 2015–2016:

- Lenovo ThinkPad T450s (refurbished price: ~$250).

- Dell XPS 13 9343 (refurbished price: ~$300).

Important: Check the battery condition — replacement can cost $50–$80.

Final Conclusion: Who Is the Core i7-5600U Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for those looking for an affordable laptop for basic tasks: document work, web surfing, and movie watching. It is suitable for:

- Students for studying.

- Office workers who do not require high performance.

- Users who value portability and battery life.

Key Benefits: Low price, reliability, and sufficient performance for its age. However, for modern tasks (AI, 4K streaming, gaming), it is better to choose newer models.

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.

i7-5600U

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

2.60 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.

3.20 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.20 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

15 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 1333/1600

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® HD Graphics 5500

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.

950 MHz

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

911

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1728

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

737

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1513

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1767

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3030

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

1011 +11%

Ryzen Embedded R2312

959 +5.3%

Core i7-5600U

911

Xeon E5-4660 v4

867 -4.8%

KaiXian KX-7000/8

807 -11.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E5607

2070 +19.8%

Ryzen 3 5125C

1888 +9.3%

Core i7-5600U

1728

Core i5-5250U

1560 -9.7%

Ryzen 3 3250U

1428 -17.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-4430

776 +5.3%

Athlon Silver 7120U

752 +2%

Core i7-5600U

737

Xeon Gold 6238L

718 -2.6%

Xeon E5-2670 v3

693 -6%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-6100E

1720 +13.7%

Core i5-7200U

1616 +6.8%

Core i7-5600U

1513

Xeon E5-2640 v2

1447 -4.4%

Core i3-2120

1374 -9.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon E5-1607 v3

1817 +2.8%

Core i5-6300HQ

1792 +1.4%

Core i7-5600U

1767

Core i5-5257U

1746 -1.2%

Xeon E5-2658 v3

1711 -3.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-6560U

3342 +10.3%

A8-7670K

3184 +5.1%

Core i7-5600U

3030

Core i3-4130T

2877 -5%

Core i5-3340M

2696 -11%