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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The Core i7-5775C’s unusual 128MB eDRAM L4 cache can improve some CPU memory-access patterns, even when a discrete graphics card is installed. However, the available evidence does not establish a universal frame-rate or frame-time advantage at 144Hz or 240Hz. Results depend on the game, graphics card, settings, memory configuration, and whether the test is CPU- or GPU-limited.
What makes the i7-5775C unusual
The i7-5775C is a 2015 Broadwell desktop processor for the LGA1150 platform. Tom’s Hardware lists four cores, eight threads, a 3.3GHz base clock, up to 3.7GHz Turbo, 6MB of L3 cache, 128MB of L4 eDRAM, Iris Pro Graphics 6200, and a 65W TDP. Those are historical specifications, not an indication that the chip is a current-market gaming recommendation.
| Specification | i7-5775C figure | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / threads | 4 / 8 | Tom’s Hardware, 2015 |
| Base / maximum Turbo | 3.3GHz / 3.7GHz | Tom’s Hardware, 2015 |
| Cache | 6MB L3 plus 128MB L4 eDRAM | Tom’s Hardware, 2015 |
| eDRAM frequency and bandwidth | 1.8GHz; over 57GB/s bidirectional, 114GB/s aggregate | TechSpot’s 2015 architecture description |
| Integrated graphics | Iris Pro Graphics 6200 | Tom’s Hardware, 2015 |
| TDP | 65W | Tom’s Hardware, 2015 |
The L4 is not simply a permanent framebuffer for the integrated GPU. TechSpot describes the eDRAM as accessible to the CPU as well as the graphics engine. With a discrete GPU, it can serve as a cache for CPU requests; it does not mean that an entire game, or all of its frequently used data, fits into 128MB.
Why L4 cache can matter at high refresh rates
A 144Hz display gives the CPU about 6.94 milliseconds to prepare each frame, while 240Hz allows about 4.17 milliseconds. In a CPU-limited scene, reducing trips to slower system memory can improve the time spent preparing a frame. A larger cache may therefore help particular workloads with favorable access patterns.
#1 Best Overall
- Game Without Compromise. Play harder and work smarter with Intel Core 14th Gen processors
- 20 cores (8 P-cores plus 12 E-cores) and 28 threads. Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 770 included
- Up to 5.6 GHz with Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 gives you smooth game play, high frame rates, and rapid responsiveness
- Compatible with Intel 600-series (with potential BIOS update) or 700-series chipset-based motherboards
- DDR4 and DDR5 platform support cuts your load times and gives you the space to run the most demanding games
That mechanism is conditional. A game running into the GPU’s shader, rasterization, resolution, or effects workload will not become a high-refresh title merely because the processor has extra cache. Lowering resolution or graphics settings can expose a CPU limit; raising them can move the limit back to the GPU. Frame-time percentiles and repeatable test conditions matter more than a single average-FPS number when judging high-refresh play.
What the published gaming tests actually found
Iris Pro 6200 tests
Tom’s Hardware tested the integrated Iris Pro Graphics 6200 at 1920×1080 in 2015. In BioShock Infinite at Ultra, its two Broadwell samples produced 22 and 21 FPS; at Medium they produced 44 and 41 FPS. The review identifies the integrated graphics engine, rather than the CPU, as the limiting factor. These results show what the complete Broadwell graphics package could do in that older workload, not how the L4 scales a modern discrete-GPU system at 144Hz.
Rank #2
- Game Without Compromise. Play harder and work smarter with Intel Core 14th Gen processors
- 20 cores (8 P-cores plus 12 E-cores) and 28 threads. Discrete graphics required
- Up to 5.6 GHz with Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 gives you smooth game play, high frame rates, and rapid responsiveness
- Compatible with Intel 600-series (with potential BIOS update) or 700-series chipset-based motherboards
- DDR4 and DDR5 platform support cuts your load times and gives you the space to run the most demanding games
GTA V with a faster graphics card
In the review’s GTA V section, pairing a faster graphics card with the i7-5775C raised the minimum frame rate to 45 FPS, while average FPS changed little compared with the AMD CPU setup. The result suggests that CPU-side behavior can affect minimums in a particular test, but it does not isolate the L4 cache or demonstrate a general high-refresh uplift.
PC Gamer’s comparison
PC Gamer compared the i7-5775C with the i7-4790K in a 2015 test setup that included an Nvidia GTX Titan X. After excluding PCMark 8 from its CPU-test average, the stock 5775C was about 9% slower than the 4790K; PCMark 8 itself favored the Broadwell chip. These are mixed system-benchmark outcomes. They should not be relabeled as modern gaming results or treated as a cache-only experiment.
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Rank #3
- 4 Cores / 8 Threads
- 3.60 GHz up to 4.20 GHz Max Turbo Frequency / 8 MB Cache. Sockets Supported: FCLGA1151, Max Memory Size: 64 GB, Memory Types: DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 at 1.35V
- Compatible only with Motherboards based on Intel 100 or 200 Series Chipsets
- Intel Optane Memory Supported
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
The 2020 AnandTech forum discussion
A forum thread started on October 19, 2020, interpreted AnandTech Bench charts as showing the 5775C ahead of the 4790K in several games, including Civilization VI and Strange Brigade, while performing worse in Final Fantasy XV and Borderlands 3. The author explicitly described the sample as small. Those observations are useful leads about workload sensitivity, but they are not a controlled test: the charts do not establish that cache alone caused each difference, and they do not represent current game versions or a 144Hz/240Hz guarantee.
What cannot be concluded
- No inspected source provides a controlled modern comparison that holds the GPU, game build, memory, clocks, power limits, resolution, and settings constant while switching only the L4 cache.
- No source quantifies a universal FPS, 1% low, or frame-time gain at 144Hz or 240Hz attributable to the L4 alone.
- Older integrated-graphics results cannot be combined with discrete-GPU results into one performance ranking.
- A win in one cache-sensitive game does not predict a win in another; the forum examples include both apparent victories and clear losses.
How to evaluate an i7-5775C system today
Record the conditions
- Game title, exact version, map or replay, and graphics API.
- Average FPS together with 1% lows or frame-time percentiles when available.
- Resolution, preset, texture and simulation settings, and the display refresh rate.
- Exact discrete or integrated GPU model and driver version.
- Memory capacity, channel mode, speed, CPU clock, Turbo behavior, and power limits.
- GPU utilization and per-core CPU utilization to identify the limiting component.
Interpret the result
If GPU utilization is near saturation and lowering resolution does not materially raise FPS, the graphics card is likely the limit and the L4 will not transform the experience. If one or two CPU threads are busy, GPU utilization falls, and frame-time spikes respond to a repeatable workload change, the cache may be helping—but only that measured title and configuration justify the conclusion.
Rank #4
- Next‑Gen Platform Support: Compatible with Intel 800 Series Chipset‑based motherboards with LGA1851 Socket enabling PCIe 5.0/4.0 and high‑speed DDR5 memory (up to 7200 MT/s).
- High‑Performance Core Configuration: Features up to 24 cores (8 P‑cores + 16 E‑cores) for demanding gaming and creator
- Ultra‑Fast Boost Clocks: Reaches up to 5.5 GHz max turbo frequency for top‑tier responsiveness and performance
- Built for Enthusiasts: Unlocked for performance tuning when paired with Intel Z‑series chipsets, making it ideal for overclockers and power users.
- Robust Power & Thermal Design: Engineered with 125W base power and 250W max turbo power to sustain high‑intensity
Is it sensible as an LGA1150 upgrade?
The i7-5775C can be an interesting legacy upgrade when an LGA1150 board, compatible memory, and a suitable BIOS are already available. Before buying a used or refurbished chip, verify the motherboard’s CPU-support list and BIOS revision, inspect the processor’s condition, and compare the complete platform cost with a newer CPU, board, and memory. Its four-core/eight-thread design and 2015-era platform also limit its suitability for modern games that benefit from more cores and newer I/O.
Bottom line on the large L4 cache
The 128MB eDRAM is a real architectural feature that can serve CPU requests with either integrated or discrete graphics. The historical tests show workload-specific behavior: strong results in some cache-sensitive cases, modest or negative results in others, and clear GPU bottlenecks in integrated-graphics tests. That is enough to make the i7-5775C an intriguing Broadwell outlier, but not enough to promise high-refresh gaming performance. Treat any claim of a 144Hz or 240Hz benefit as a benchmark question requiring matched, current testing—not as a property guaranteed by the cache size.
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