Intel Core i7-8550U

Intel Core i7-8550U 8th Gen Higher-End Quad-Core Laptop Processor

Intel Core i7-8550U

The 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U higher-end laptop processor packs a serious punch without being power-hungry and without requiring very large cooling systems. With its four cores and a 15-Watt power consumption, it’s a great alternative to the 45-Watt i7 HQ quad-core series. The 8th Gen i7-8550U is also a noticeably more powerful substitute for the previous 7th Gen i7-7500U dual-core counterpart. The benchmark results confirm that advantage.

Intel Core i7-8550U CPU Benchmark

Intel Core i7-8550U 8th Gen Benchmark

The quad-core design and relatively high clock speeds of the Intel Core i7-8550U (and its slightly slower i5-8250U sibling) are the main contributors the CPU’s excellent User Benchmark score. The quad-core 35-Watt i7-7700HQ is only slightly ahead of the 15W i7-8550U. Therefore, the i7-8550U seems to be a better choice for most users, since it enables a longer battery life and similar performance to the 7700HQ. However, you should keep in mind that thin laptop designs can lead to noticeable CPU performance throttling due to constrained space and cooling.

Also, you shouldn’t expect mind-blowing gaming potential of the Intel UHD 620 graphics, which is integrated in the 8th Gen i7-8550U. It’s an updated version of the entry-level Intel HD 620 from the previous 7th Generation Intel Core U CPU family and has slightly higher clock speed. Both graphics processors can be used for some basic gaming.

Note: The benchmark scores of the listed processors are averages measured across various devices with these processors. The scores and real-world performance of the Intel Core i7-8550U and compared CPUs may vary depending on the notebooks' other components, settings, cooling, and other factors. However, the benchmark results are good indicators of the processors' performance.

Specifications of the Intel Core i7-8550U

Here are the most important specs of the Intel Core i7-8550U:

Processor Name

Intel Core i7-8550U
CPU Family

8th Generation Intel Core "Kaby Lake R"
Number of Cores

Quad-core / 2 computing threads per core
CPU Clock Speed

1.8 GHz – 4 GHz
Cache Size

8MB
Memory Support

DDR3 (2133 MHz max. speed)
DDR4 (2400 MHz max. speed)
Integrated Graphics

Intel UHD 620
Power Consumption

15W
Production Technology

14-nanometer
Typical Use

Mainstream laptops & 2-in-1 PCs
Notable Technologies

Intel HyperThreading (enables two computing threads per physical processor core)
Intel QuickSync Video (speeds up conversion of video files)
Intel TurboBoost (dynamically boosts performance of cores, depending on power and thermal headroom)
VT-d virtualization
VT-x virtualization
Year of Release

2017

Published on October 10, 2017

Category:

User Reviews and Q&A on the Intel Core i7-8550U

Below you can read and submit user reviews, questions, and answers about the processor. Thank you for your contribution.

  1. Question

    RUbn –

    Can o trust your reviews?Please convince me 🙂

    • Dan –

      Hi, this isn’t a review. When it’s a review, it’s mentioned in the title. This is rather a simple overview of the processor and I think you can trust it. Cheers!

    • Yeasin Saadman –

      I have a lenovo flex 5 1570 laptop Model Name 81ca
      S/N :MP1LZJJT MTM 81CA000YUS Intel Core i7 8550U CPU @ 1.80 GHz 2.00 GHz I have DDR4 8 GB 2400 MHz SODIMM RAM Can I install ddr4 32 GB (16GB X 2 ) 2666 MHz
      Can Intel Core i7 8550U CPU @ 1.80 GHz 2.00 GHz Support DDR4 2666 MHz RAM

    • Good Samaritan –

      Yes it runs it rather well, although that is the max as far I know.

    • pradeep –

      i have i7-8550u cpu 1.80 GHz laptop . please let me know max supported ram

    • pradeep –

      i have i7-8550u cpu 1.80 GHz laptop , please let know max supported ram

    • Dan –

      32GB is max supported RAM size by the i7-8550u. But keep in mind your laptop should have two RAM slots for 16GB + 16GB. 32GB single RAM modules do exist, but they weren’t available at the time of the i7-8550U launch, so I’m not sure if a single 32GB module will work properly with the CPU.

    • Matthew Neudorf –

      Its is always better to use 2 16gb sticks for dual channel to be enabled which is always faster than a single stick of 32gb

    • jeremyko –

      hey my lenovo e580 (i7 8550u) now has 48gb ram(32 gb + 16gb). it works.

    • Mario E. –

      Hi, does your i7 8550U CPU is able to use the 32Gb RAM? I mean, it sees the RAM but, with heavy workloads is the actually RAM used by this CPU?

  2. JohnIL –

    Bought a Dell Inspiron 7370 with the 8550u and it definitely has some serious cooling issues with this CPU. The XPS 13 line also suffers from heat dissipation issues with the i7. Maybe the problem is the design or they are too thin to properly cool?

  3. SAIF –

    Can core i7-8550U,nividia geforce mx150(4gb),and 8Gb ram run games smoothly

    What’s is the difference between core i7-8550u and i7-77hq and what’s is the best for gaming
    And what do you recommend for me in Intel i7 generation for gaming 7Th generation or 8th generation.

    • Gihan –

      i7 – 7700HQ is still far better for playing games.

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