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Intel Pentium Gold G5500T

Intel Pentium Gold G5500T: Budget Processor for Basic Tasks (April 2025)

Key Features: Coffee Lake Architecture in a Compact Format

The Intel Pentium Gold G5500T, released in 2018, remains a popular budget solution thanks to its balance of price and energy efficiency.

- Architecture: Coffee Lake (14 nm). Despite the outdated manufacturing process, the chip is optimized for low power consumption.

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores / 4 threads (Hyper-Threading). Base frequency — 3.2 GHz (no turbo mode).

- Cache: L3 — 4 MB. Sufficient for simple applications, but limited for complex tasks.

- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 (base frequency — 350 MHz, maximum — 1.05 GHz). Supports 4K@60 Hz via HDMI/DisplayPort.

- TDP: 35 W. Ideal for compact systems without active cooling.

Key Features:

- Support for Intel Quick Sync Video technology for fast video encoding.

- Compatibility with Windows 11 (requires enabling TPM 2.0 on the motherboard).

- Low price: a new processor can be found for $50–60 (2025).

Compatible Motherboards: LGA 1151 v2 Socket and Selection Nuances

The G5500T uses the LGA 1151 v2 socket but requires 300-series chipsets:

- H310/B365: Budget boards (ASRock H310CM-HDV, ~$60). Suitable for office PCs, but limited in memory overclocking.

- H370/Z390: Boards with support for USB 3.1 Gen2 and PCIe 3.0 x16 (e.g., MSI Z390-A PRO, ~$120).

Important:

- Boards with H310/B360 chipsets may require a BIOS update to work with Coffee Lake.

- Avoid motherboards for the 100/200 series (e.g., H270) — they are incompatible.

Supported Memory: DDR4 and Optimization

The processor works with DDR4:

- Officially: up to 2400 MHz (on H310/B365 chipsets).

- Overclocking: On Z370/Z390, XMP profiles can be activated for 2666–3000 MHz.

Recommendations:

- Use a dual-channel configuration (2×8 GB DDR4-2400) — this will boost the integrated graphics performance by 15–20%.

- 8 GB is enough for office tasks; 16 GB is recommended for multimedia.

Power Supply: Minimum Cost

Considering the 35 W TDP and the absence of a discrete graphics card:

- Basic Scenario: A 300 W power supply (e.g., EVGA 300W, ~$40).

- With Headroom: If planning to install a GTX 1650 level GPU, choose a 450 W PSU (Corsair CX450, ~$65).

Tip: Even for a budget build, opt for power supplies with an 80 Plus Bronze certification — they are more reliable and save energy.

Pros and Cons of Pentium Gold G5500T

Pros:

- Energy Efficiency: A PC with this processor can be built in a book-sized case.

- Integrated Graphics: UHD 630 handles 4K video and older games (e.g., GTA V on low settings — 25–30 FPS).

- Price: One of the lowest on the market (cheaper than Ryzen 3 2200G).

Cons:

- Only 2 cores: In 2025, this is insufficient for multitasking (streaming + gaming) or modern applications optimized for 4+ cores.

- No support for PCIe 4.0/5.0: NVMe drive speeds are limited.

Usage Scenarios: Who is the G5500T Suitable For?

1. Office PCs: Working with documents, browsing, Zoom. For example, a build based on G5500T + 8 GB DDR4 + 256 GB SSD will cost about ~$200.

2. Media Centers: Streaming 4K content via Plex or Kodi.

3. Casual Gaming: Minecraft, CS:GO, Dota 2 (up to 60 FPS on low settings).

4. Educational Projects: PCs for schools or home learning.

Limitations: Not suitable for video editing in DaVinci Resolve, 3D modeling, or running Cyberpunk 2077.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Athlon 3000G (2C/4T, Vega 3): Cheaper (~$45), but weaker in single-threaded tasks. UHD 630 is 10–15% faster than Vega 3.

- Intel Core i3-9100 (4C/4T): For $80–90, offers 4 cores, which is critical for multitasking.

- Ryzen 3 3200G (4C/4T, Vega 8): More powerful in gaming (~$70), but requires a more expensive motherboard (AM4).

Conclusion: The G5500T wins only in price and power consumption.

Build Tips

1. Case: Choose Mini-ITX (Fractal Design Node 202) or compact solutions.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, replace it with Noctua NH-L9i (~$45).

3. Storage: Make sure to include an SSD (Kingston A400 480 GB, ~$35) — an HDD will bottleneck even this processor.

4. Upgrade: Don't invest in an expensive motherboard — the G5500T will become a bottleneck for modern GPUs.

Final Conclusion: Who is the G5500T For?

This processor is a choice for those who:

- Are building a cheap PC for internet, movies, or study.

- Need a compact system (e.g., HTPC).

- Do not plan to run "heavy" programs or games.

Alternative: If the budget allows an extra $20–30, it's better to go for the Ryzen 3 3200G or a used Core i5 8th generation — they will offer more upgrade potential.

The Pentium Gold G5500T may not be the most powerful, but it is one of the most affordable processors of 2025. It should only be considered for ultra-budget scenarios where every $10 counts.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2018

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.

G5500T

Code Name

Coffee Lake

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

3.20 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.

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.

FCLGA1151

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

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

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

88°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.

3.0

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.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+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.

DDR4-2400

Max Memory Size

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

64 GB

Memory Channels

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

Bus Speed

8 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).

37.5 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

Yes

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics 630

Graphics Base Frequency

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

350 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.

1.05 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

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

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.

4096x2304@24Hz

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.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

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

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® Smart Cache

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 Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

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 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.

4.5

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 5

Single Core Score

669

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1383

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1951

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3259

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Processor 300

710 +6.1%

EPYC 7232P

687 +2.7%

Pentium Gold G5500T

669

Core i3-L13G4

646 -3.4%

Xeon D-1567

622 -7%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-4278U

1528 +10.5%

Celeron G4930

1459 +5.5%

Pentium Gold G5500T

1383

Athlon X4 740

1310 -5.3%

Core m3-7Y30

1223 -11.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon E3-1225 v3

2002 +2.6%

Core i7-4930K

1974 +1.2%

Pentium Gold G5500T

1951

Ryzen Embedded V1605B

1924 -1.4%

Ryzen Embedded R1606G

1894 -2.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i3-4170

3592 +10.2%

A10-7870K

3422 +5%

Pentium Gold G5500T

3259

Core i7-5557U

3081 -5.5%

Athlon X4 760K

2948 -9.5%