A mid-range processor unit with good technical characteristics and acceptable performance for the LGA1156 computing platform is the Core i3-550. This chip will be considered in this material. It will also show its parameters and test results in various synthetic and gaming programs.
The purpose of this processor. What personal computers is it designed to build?
In the hierarchy of Intel processors, the CPU Intel Core i3-550 belongs to mid-range solutions. Below it, both in terms of performance and cost, are the budget Celeron and Pentium. These semiconductor solutions have lower clock speeds, a reduced amount of fast memory integrated into the CPU chip, and only two logic modules for code processing. Well, processors of the i5 and i7 families can boast of great speed and performance. In both the first and second cases, there are 4 blocks of program code execution on a silicon crystal. An intermediate link between low-cost chips and high-performance processors are i3 solutions. They have 2 physical cores (this makes them similar to budget CPUs) and 4 logical blocks (as with more productive products). The i3-550 processor device can quite successfully be used in the following cases:
- In a mid-level gaming computer.
- In the graphics station.
- Multimedia pc.
- Workstation.
- Office system unit.
In the first two cases, the computer system must be understaffed with a discrete graphics card. In other cases, you can do the integrated graphics adapter.
What are the types of CPU assembly and what do they include?
The main supply option for this processor is BOX. The manufacturer included the following in it:
- A cardboard box with detailed specifications of the processor solution.
- Protective plastic box with processor.
- User's manual.
- The sticker is the logo of the CPU family.
- Company cooler and thermal grease.
- Warranty card.
It was also extremely rare to find a “truncated” configuration in the price lists. In this case, the supply list lacked a cooler and thermal paste. As planned by the manufacturer, this configuration was of most interest to large computer builders who could buy bulk cooling systems at wholesale prices and thereby reduce the cost of assembled system units.
Motherboards, CPU Socket, and Chipsets
Core i3-550 was intended for installation in the processor socket LGA1156. He replaced LGA775 in 2009, and then, a year later, in 2011 he was replaced by LGA1155. Most motherboards for this computing platform included integrated graphics cards. Only now, unlike most of its predecessors, these integrated video accelerators were transferred by the manufacturer to the silicon crystal of the CPU. Only 4 sets of system logic were released by Intel for LGA1156: P55, H55, Q57 and H57.
Internal features of the processor device
It should be noted that the processor solution in question belongs to the first generation of chips based on the Core architecture. Their code name is Clarkdale. In the future, they were replaced by more productive CPUs of the 2nd generation on the same architecture. Physically, in this processor, 2 computing cores were processed that processed the program code. But due to NT technology at the system software level, such chips already looked like a full-fledged quad-core chip.
Organization of the memory subsystem integrated into the CPU. Its volume
The organization of cache in the Intel Core i3-550 is practically no different from modern processors. The characteristics of this solution indicate its three-level organization. The first level consisted of 2 clusters of 64 Kb. Its total volume included 128 Kb. In turn, each of the clusters was divided into 2 parts of 32 Kb. One of them stored only data, and the second - only instructions of the program code. The second cache level also consisted of two clusters, but already at 256 Kb. At this level, there was no longer a strict separation of memory into data storage and instruction storage. The third level of fast memory had a capacity of 4 MB. It was common to all computing resources of the chip.
The controller of the operational device. Its characteristics
The RAM controller along with the north bridge of the system logic set was moved to the same chassis as the Core i3-550. His characteristics indicated that he could work in two-channel mode and supported RAM modules of only the DDR3 standard. The recommended operating frequency of the modules is 1066 or 1333 MHz, but in practice, these CPUs have also successfully worked with faster laths with frequencies up to 2133 MHz. The maximum amount of RAM in this case was 16 GB.
Clock speed
Another important difference between the i3 line and the i5 was that the latter implemented support for the dynamic regulation of the clock frequency of the TurboBust chip. As a result, the clock frequency of any representative of the i3 model range was fixed and did not depend on the degree of complexity of the problem being solved. For Intel Core i3-550 3 - 20 GHz. Separately, it should be noted that in the nominal mode it was the most productive among its counterparts, but in case of overclocking, the younger models showed a greater increase in performance.
Thermal pack. Temperature nuances. Production technology
The thermal package of the processor device in question was declared by the manufacturer at the level of 73 W. If we compare this CPU with the modern ones of this series, for example, the i3-7100, we get 51 W or 30 percent improved energy efficiency. But for 2009, this value of power consumption looked very decent. The maximum temperature allowed for the specifications for this semiconductor crystal is 72 ° C. In reality, in the nominal mode, this value did not exceed 62-63 ° C, and the processor had a significant margin of safety. It is extremely interesting from the position of the layout i3-550 was implemented. Inside his case were immediately 2 semiconductor crystals. One of them consisted entirely of computing modules and was produced according to the tolerance standards of 32 nm. The second included an integrated graphics adapter and the northbridge of the chipset. This silicon crystal was manufactured according to the standards of 45 nm process technology. These two components of the computing system were connected using a special bus.
Overclocking potential
Impressive overclocking potential boasted Intel Core i3-550. Of course, against the background of the younger models of this family, the increase in its speed was not so large, but the result obtained was less dependent on the capabilities of the motherboard. The chip clock frequency multiplier was fixed, and in this case, it was possible to increase the speed only with the help of the system bus frequency on the motherboard. In the initial state, the multiplier was 24, the bus frequency was 133 MHz, and the CPU frequency was 3.2 GHz. As experience has shown, the value of the bus could be increased to 185 MHz. As a result, it was possible to obtain a CPU frequency of about 4.5 GHz. That is, in percentage terms, an increase in speed of 29% was obtained.
Integrated video subsystem
The presence of the integrated entry-level subsystem boasted the considered Core i3-550. Her model is HD Graphics. This graphic semiconductor chip was in the same housing as the CPU cores. Its frequency was equal to 733 MHz and in the process, this value did not change. The maximum number of supported screens was limited to two. For the implementation of the simplest tasks, the capabilities of such a video accelerator were quite enough, but in order to fully reveal the potential of the i3-550, it was necessary to equip a PC with a very, very productive video card.
Synthetic Test Results
It is not entirely correct to compare the i3-550 with modern processor solutions of the same series, for example, the i3-7100. Their production technology is fundamentally different: 32 nm versus 14 nm. The clock frequencies also increased from 3.2 GHz to 3.9 GHz. But at the same time, the cache size was reduced at the 3rd level: instead of 4 MB, it is now equal to 3 MB. As a result, tests show almost 50% superiority of the new processor. It is more correct to compare the i3-550 with analogues that competed with it in 2010. This list includes the i5-650, i3-530, Core 2Duo models E8500 and Athlon II X4 model 620. The test results in PCMark 05 for these central processors were as follows:
- i5-650 gave 8595 points.
- i3-550 could boast an identical result of 8595 points.
- E8500 already scored 7941 points.
- Athlon II X4 620 - 7862 points.
- The i5-350 showed the smallest results due to the lowest clock speed - 7770 points.
In another CrystalMark 0.9 synthetic test suite, the following results were obtained:
- Athlon II X4 620 - 41623 points.
- i5-650 —39359 points.
- i3-550 - 32214 points.
- i3-550 - 36270 points.
- E8500 - 31251 points.
These two tests show the significant superiority of the considered solution over the younger models of this family and over representatives of the previous architecture. You can also see that this CPU looks quite decent on the background of full-fledged 4-core chips. The difference between them is not so big and, as experience shows, it can be reduced by overclocking.
Game testing
Decent enough results in gaming applications could boast of an Intel Core i3-550 processor, but for this it was necessary to equip such a computing system with a discrete graphics card. The most optimal in conjunction with this CPU was to use the GeForce model 9800 GX2 with 1 GB of RAM standard DDR3. The test results below are valid for 1280X1024 resolution with maximum image quality. To compare this chip in game tests will be most justified with the same CPUs as in the previous paragraph. In Tom Clancy's, you could learn the following FPS:
- i5-650 and i3-550 - 120 each.
- Athlon II X4 620 - 119.
- i3-530 - 117.
- E8500 - 106.
The situation in Far Cry 2 changes a bit. In this case, the result is FPS:
- i5-650 and i3-550 - 85 each.
- i3-530 - 81.
- E8500 - 74.
- Athlon II X4 620 - 73.
Comparison with direct competitors at the time of release indicates that the processor device in question could quite compete even with full-fledged 4-core chips. In some tests, he even circumvented them significantly, as, for example, in Far Cry 2.
Reviews and results
The previously mentioned technical specifications and test results show that the Core i3-550 processor was a worthy product for its time. The reviews of owners in 2011-2012 also draw attention to the same. In some cases, he was even ahead of the more expensive CPUs. But now the Core i3-550 is out of date. Moreover, both morally and physically. So for the foreseeable future, the owners of such computing systems need to think about an upgrade, and users already talk about this in current reviews about this CPU.