CPU Showdown

Core i5-8500BvsRyzen Threadripper 9970X

The Core i5-8500B is a compact six-core chip built for small-form-factor office PCs and all-in-ones, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a massive 32-core workstation processor for heavy rendering and multitasking.

Intel Core i5-8500B
6C / 6T · 65W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X
32C / 64T · 350W
Intel

Core i5-8500B

Coffee Lake · 14 nm · 2018

5score
4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
6 / 6
TDP
65W
Boost Clock
4.1 GHz
L3 Cache
9 MB

As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

64score
4.4/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
32 / 64
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 GHz
L3 Cache
128 MB

As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.

Core i5-8500B
5
Ryzen Threadripper 9970XWinner
64
Ryzen Threadripper 9970X leads by 1180.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#5Ryzen Threadripper 7970X60
#394Core i3-10105F5
#395Core i5-8500B5
#396Ryzen 5 2400G5
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.

SpecsCore i5-8500BRyzen Threadripper 9970X
Cores
Total Cores632
Threads664
Base Clock3.0 GHz4.0 GHz
Boost Clock4.1 GHz5.4 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache1.5 MB32 MB
L3 Cache9 MB128 MB
Platform
PCIePCIe 3.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 630
Power
Base TDP65W350W
General
Process14 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is the clear winner overall for anyone needing extreme multi-core performance, far outpacing the Core i5-8500B.

Best value

For budget or value buyers, the Core i5-8500B is the smarter pick if you only need basic everyday tasks and want to avoid the Threadripper's high cost.

When the other wins

Choose the Core i5-8500B for a compact, low-power office PC where the Threadripper's massive core count and cooling demands are wasteful.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i5-8500B better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (64 vs 5 out of 100), so it leads the Core i5-8500B in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X than the Core i5-8500B?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is roughly 1180% faster than the Core i5-8500B overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i5-8500B or the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9970X. If the Core i5-8500B is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.