| Intel Core i5 3230M vs AMD A8 5550M |
If you’re a serious gamer, then you know that the latest games demand a powerful system. An wise investment is all the more important for laptops, because they can’t be upgraded like desktops can. For this matchup, we’re going to compare between two Laptop processors: the Intel Core i5 3230M versus the AMD A8 5550M. Which one is the better choice for gaming?
The 3230M is a Dual Core based on Intel’s i5 series, which is geared towards mid-range computers. It’s clocked at 2.6 GHz with 3MB cache and 35W TDP power consumption. For its integrated graphics, it packs an HD 4000 which has a GPU clock speed of 650 MHz. It’s decent for basic tasks or even for watching HD videos, but on its own it’s quite weak for gaming.
In contrast is the 5550M, based on AMD’s Accelerated Processing Unit which fuses the CPU and GPU on a single chip. It has a clock speed of 2.1 GHz with 4MB cache and 35W TDP power consumption. This model packs the Radeon HD 8550G GPU, which is better than Intel’s stock integrated graphics; you can smoothly game on medium settings without the need of having a discrete video card.
Looking at the benchmarks, the 3230M is the champ when it comes to processing power: it consistently posted 30% better results in the 3Dmark06 CPU and PassMark benchmarks. Most importantly, the Single Core benchmark shows that each of the 3230M’s cores is 52% more powerful than the ones on the 5550M.
In conclusion, the AMD A8 5550M may be capable in making your game run, but its middling performance leaves a lot to be desired. We recommend buying a laptop with a dedicated GPU and paired with the Intel Core i5 3230M processor for an immersive gaming experience.
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Differences What are the advantages of each
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CPUBoss is not aware of any important advantages of the Intel Core i5 3230M vs the AMD A8 5550M. | |||||||
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CPUBoss is not aware of any important advantages of the AMD A8 5550M vs the Intel Core i5 3230M. | |||||||
Benchmarks Real world tests of Core i5 3230M vs A8 5550M
CompuBench 1.5 (Bitcoin mining) Data courtesy CompuBench
CompuBench 1.5 (T-Rex) Data courtesy CompuBench
PCMark 8 Home 3.0 Accelerated Data courtesy FutureMark
Sky Diver Data courtesy FutureMark
Cloud Gate Data courtesy FutureMark
GeekBench 3 (Multi-core) Data courtesy Primate Labs
GeekBench 3 (Single core) Data courtesy Primate Labs
GeekBench 3 (AES single core) Data courtesy Primate Labs
Specifications Full list of technical specs
summary | Core i5 3230M | vs | A8 5550M |
---|---|---|---|
Clock speed | 2.6 GHz | 2.1 GHz | |
Turbo clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 3.1 GHz | |
Cores | Dual core | Quad core | |
Is unlocked | No | No | |
features | |||
Has a NX bit | Yes | Yes | |
Has virtualization support | Yes | Yes | |
Instruction set extensions | |||
SSE4a | |||
SSE2 | |||
F16C | |||
MMX | |||
SSE4 | |||
XOP | |||
AVX | |||
SSE3 | |||
SSE | |||
BMI1 | |||
AMD64 | |||
SSE4.1 | |||
FMA4 | |||
FMA3 | |||
SSE4.2 | |||
AMD-V | |||
Supplemental SSE3 | |||
AES | |||
TBM | |||
Supports dynamic frequency scaling | Yes | Yes | |
memory controller | |||
Memory controller | Built-in | Built-in | |
Memory type | |||
DDR3-1600 | |||
DDR3L-1600 | |||
DDR3-1333 | |||
DDR3L-1333 |
details | Core i5 3230M | vs | A8 5550M |
---|---|---|---|
Threads | 4 | 4 | |
L2 cache | 0.5 MB | 4 MB | |
L2 cache per core | 0.25 MB/core | 1 MB/core | |
Manufacture process | 22 nm | 32 nm | |
Max CPUs | 1 | 1 | |
Operating temperature | Unknown - 105°C | Unknown - 105°C | |
integrated graphics | |||
GPU | GPU | GPU | |
Label | Intel® HD Graphics 4000 | Radeon™ HD 8550G | |
GPU clock speed | 650 MHz | 515 MHz | |
Turbo clock speed | 1,100 MHz | 720 MHz | |
power consumption | |||
TDP | 35W | 35W | |
Annual home energy cost | 8.43 $/year | 8.43 $/year | |
Performance per watt | 12.42 pt/W | 10.61 pt/W | |
Typical power consumption | 28.44W | 28.44W |
Intel Core i5 3230M ![]() | AMD A8 5550M ![]() |
Laptops
Looking for a laptop?
- 3 laptops with the Intel Core i5 3230M, starting from $700
- 4 laptops with the AMD A8 5550M, starting from $738
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