Core i5-8500

Name: Intel Core i5-8500
Brand: Intel
Rating: 3.7 (101 reviews)

6 cores · 6 threads · up to 4.1 GHz on FCLGA1151.

3.7 · 101 votes

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Cores

Threads

Boost

4.1 GHz

L3 cache

9 MB

TDP

65W

Socket

FCLGA1151

Performance breakdown

Gaming6

Productivity6

Single-core6

Multi-core25

Power efficiency5

Lab scores

Performance score6

Cores6

Threads6

Boost clock (GHz)4.1 GHz

Estimated gaming FPS

Paired with a high-end GPU. CPU impact is largest at 1080p.

1080p13 fps

1440p11 fps

4K7 fps

Full specifications

Processor & cores

Architecture: Coffee Lake-S
Process node: 14 nm
Socket: FCLGA1151
Release year: 2018
Total cores: 6
Threads: 6
Integrated graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630

Clocks & cache

Base clock: 3.0 GHz
Boost clock: 4.1 GHz
Multiplier: 30
L1 cache: 384 KB
L2 cache: 1.5 MB
L3 cache: 9 MB

Memory & platform

Memory support: DDR3
Max capacity: 128 GB
Channels: 2
Max bandwidth: 42.671 GB/s
Base power (TDP): 65W
Max temperature: 100°C
PCIe: PCIe 3.0
Launch price: $202

Technologies

Instruction sets: SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
Extensions: AES-NI, AVX, AMD-V, VT-x, VT-d, TXT, TSX

Community Feedback

What Owners Say

Owners like it for solid everyday speed and low power draw. The main complaint is it shows its age now, feeling slower in newer games or heavy multitasking.

Pros

Fast for everyday multitasking
Runs cool on stock cooling
Works in many older boards
No bottleneck with midrange GPUs

Cons

Locked to its stock speeds
No hyperthreading support at all
Only six threads total

Verdict

Our verdict on the Core i5-8500

A solid, sensible six-core workhorse for 2018 that gets the job done without any flashy extras.

Get it if you need a reliable six-core chip for a basic office PC or home build that won't break the bank. Skip it if you need modern performance for gaming or heavy multitasking—newer CPUs are much faster and better value.