Intel Core i7-8550U socket: BGA 1356

What the Core i7-8550U is

The Core i7-8550U is a four core, eight thread mobile processor from the 8th Gen Core family. It launched in August 2017 with a 1.8 GHz base and up to 4.0 GHz Turbo at 15 W. Four cores with Hyper-Threading brought workstation style threading to thin ultrabooks for the first time in the i7 U line.

Eight megabytes of Smart Cache feed office suites, browsers and light creation tools. The 1.8 GHz base keeps meetings quiet, while 4.0 GHz burst gives strong single thread peaks for loads and exports. Configurable TDP from 10 W at 800 MHz to 25 W at 2.0 GHz lets makers tune for fanless tablets or performance bodies.

UHD Graphics 620 from 300 MHz to 1150 MHz drives laptop panels and 4K output through docks. The graphics name changed from HD 620 with the same output capability. Thin buyers run dual 4K displays without a discrete GPU.

On 14 nm the 8550U solders to ultrabooks with DDR4 or LPDDR3. Intel listed it at $409 tray pricing for makers. It led the 2018 thin laptop wave against dual core 7th Gen i7 U parts.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The 8550U solders to BGA 1356 with no socket option. Laptop model fixes processor, memory ceiling and graphics for life. Makers set TDP in firmware between 10 W and 25 W.

Boards use DDR4-2400 SODIMM slots or soldered LPDDR3-2133, up to 32 GB where slots exist. Buyers who keep machines for years should favor slotted memory. The How to find your CPU socket type guide shows where specs confirm soldered status.

The Core i5-8250U Intel Core i5-8250U is the nearby quad core on the same package with 6 MB cache and lower clocks. The Core i7-8650U is the higher business bin on BGA 1356.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

DDR4-2400 or LPDDR3-2133 in two channels up to 32 GB with up to 37.5 GB per sec of bandwidth is the support. Matched pairs help graphics most. ECC is not supported on this consumer mobile part.

Twelve PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU feed NVMe SSDs and board devices. Laptop designs typically give four lanes to storage. Speeds suit boot drives and project files.

Fifteen watts cool with a single fan and thin pipe. Ten watt down mode suits silent cabins, while 25 W up mode suits thicker performance ultrabooks. Service follows the maker manual for fans and SSDs.

Upgrade paths

There is no CPU upgrade on soldered BGA 1356. Storage growth and memory where socketed are the only levers. An NVMe SSD swap transforms 8550U bodies most.

Past this generation the path is a new laptop on a later platform with more cores and faster memory. The LGA, PGA and BGA: CPU package types explained guide frames soldered limits.