Intel Core i5-8500 Review

Discover the Core i5-8500! This Desktop processor is a star in Intel's mid-range portfolio. Released in 2018, it sports 6 cores and 6 threads. It has a base frequency of 3GHz, can reach up to 4.1GHz, and has a power rating of 65W, ready to enhance your gaming rig. The Core i5-8500 is built using the Coffee Lake 14nm process and is a part of the esteemed Core i5 series.

And guess what? The Core i5-8500 is the ultimate successor to Intel's previous-gen gaming champion, the Core i5-7500. The Core i5-7500 was based on the legendary Kaby Lake-S and 14nm process, and it made its grand entrance into the gaming scene back in 2016. But now, it's time for the Core i5-8500 to take the throne and conquer the gaming world!

The best CPUs are the ones that slay frames at a price that won't make you ragequit. The Core i5-8500 totally wins this game.

The Intel Core i5-8500 is another epic drop from Team Intel, cranking things up in the neverending Intel vs AMD CPU war. But hey, core count ain't everything, especially for playing the hottest PC games. Single-core performance gotta be on point too.

Heads up, with a simple overclock, the Core i5-8400 can actually perform almost as well as the Core i5-8500, even when the Core i5-8500 is overclocked too. But the Core i5-8400 is $70 cheaper! Don't get us wrong, the Core i5-8500 is still a beast and offers more overall performance than AMD's Ryzen 5 2400G, but if you're on a budget, the cheaper sibling might be the better call.

We already went deep into the nitty-gritty details of the Coffee Lake chip design in our reviews of the Intel Core i5-8600 and Core i5-8400. If you want to learn more about the Core i5-8500's architecture (which is identical to the Core i5-8400), head over there!

The Core i5-8500 is the more expensive version of the Core i5-8400, and it shows with its higher base and boost clock speeds: 3 GHz and 4.1 GHz, respectively. That's a nice boost in speed, but the real game changer is the higher power delivery (PPT). This lets the motherboard pump more juice (up to 142W) to the Core i5-8500 compared to the Core i5-8400's limit of 65W. This extra power allows the Core i5-8500 to crank up the boost clocks even more aggressively, on both single and multiple cores. That means the performance gap between these two CPUs might be bigger than what the specs on paper suggest.

The Intel Core i5-8500 launched on Mar 2018 for $202, which is pretty much the same price as the last-generation Core i5-7500. At least there's no crazy price hike this generation!

The Intel Core i5-8500 is another impressive addition to Intel's 8 Gen of Core i5 processors. It boasts 6 cores and 6 threads, with a boost clock of up to 4.1 GHz. While the specs might not look super top-of-the-line on paper, the real-world performance you get for your $202 is fantastic.

Heads up! If you already have a Core i5-7500, this new generation doesn't offer a huge jump in performance. You might be better off waiting a year to upgrade or spending more on a higher-end CPU.

Alright, buying advice time! Before this review, we recommended the Ryzen 5 2400G because it comes with a better stock cooler, can be overclocked, and the platform allows for easier future upgrades.

One of the best things about the Intel Core i5-8500 is that it comes with a free CPU cooler! You can grab the Core i5-8500 for $202 without having to spend extra on cooling.

The Intel Core i5-8500 comes with a basic heatsink cooler, nothing fancy. But it gets the job done for this low-power CPU (TDP of 65W). You won't need a fancy aftermarket cooler unless you want to overclock it.

The Intel Core i5-8500 is a decent performing chip for $202. The main competitor at this price point is the Ryzen 5 2400G, a 4-core unlocked processor with integrated graphics, which costs $169.

For a 6-core CPU, the Intel Core i5-8500 is a steal at $202! It seems crazy cheap compared to its main competitor, the 4-core AMD Ryzen 5 2400G which costs $169. Basically, you get extra cores for almost nothing.

If you don't care too much about overclocking and max boost speeds, then the Intel Core i5-8400 is a good option for $182. It also has 6 cores and 6 threads, but with slightly lower clock speeds (2.8GHz base and 3.8GHz boost).

With Core i5, Intel brings new innovation with its new architecture and a 14nm manufacturing process. Similar to Core i5, Core i5 is built for the LGA1151 platform with support for all the latest features like DDR4 RAM, super-fast NVMe SSDs, and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

More cores, more power! The Core i5-8500's 6 cores outperform everything AMD throws at it, including both the competitor's closest rival and a higher-end model.

Looking for an affordable powerhouse CPU for work and play? Look no further than the Core i5-8500!

Building on the success of mainstream Core i5 CPUs, Intel is now attacking the mid-range market with the Core i5-8500 processors, available since Mar 2018.

AMD's Ryzen 5 CPUs are super popular for budget and mid-range builds. But Intel is shaking things up with 6-core processors that cost even less than 4-core options from AMD. Plus, Core i5 CPUs are unlocked for overclocking, giving you even more performance potential. AMD might have a tough time competing with this!