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Intel Core i5-8500T (6 cores, 6 Threads, 2.1 GHz, 35 W) Desktop CPU Review

A frugal all-rounder - AMD has already refreshed its economical APUs that are designed for multimedia use. Intel has followed suit with new frugal processors based on its Coffee Lake architecture. Our focus for this review is the Core i5-8500T, a 35-W TDP chip that has six cores and an integrated GPU. We will be investigating how well the new CPU performs in this review and whether it can handle the latest triple-A games.

The Intel Coffee Lake T series

The Intel Coffee Lake T series chips have set new standards for energy efficiency with the top model, the Core i7-8700T, being a hexa-core processor that supports twelve simultaneous threads thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading. The CPU manages this with only a 35-W TDP, which is considerably more efficient than the 95-W Core i7-8700K.

Caseking has kindly supplied us with an Intel Core i5-8500T and a Core i7-8700K for our tests.

An overview of the Coffee Lake T and K processors

Model Cores/Threads Base Clock Turbo 1/2/4/6 Cores L3 Cache Integrated Graphics TDP
Intel Core i7-8700T 6-12 2.4 GHz 4.0/3.9/3.9/3.8 GHz 12 MB UHD 630 35 W
Intel Core i5-8600T 6-6 2.3 GHz 3.7/3.6/3.6/3.5 GHz 9 MB UHD 630 35 W
Intel Core i5-8500T 6-6 2.1 GHz 3.5/3.4/3.3/3.2 GHz 9 MB UHD 630 35 W
Intel Core i5-8400T 6-6 1.7 GHz 3.3/3.2/3.1/3.0 GHz 9 MB UHD 630 35 W
Intel Core i3-8300T 4-4 3.2 GHz - 8 MB UHD 630 35 W
Intel Core i3-8100T 4-4 3.1 GHz - 8 MB UHD 630 35 W
Intel Core i7-8700K 6-12 3.7 GHz 4.7/4.6/4.4/4.3 GHz 12 MB UHD 630 95 W
Intel Core i5-8600K 6-6 3.6 GHz 4.3/4.2/4.2/4.1 GHz 9 MB UHD 630 95 W
Intel Core i5-8500 6-6 3.0 GHz 4.1/4.0/4.0/3.9 GHz 9 MB UHD 630 65 W

The Intel Core i5-8500T in detail

Intel Core i5-8500T
Intel Core i5-8500T

The Intel Core i5-8500T is the fastest Coffee Lake T series Core i5 processor that Intel currently sells. The Core i5-8500T is a hexa-core processor that supports up to six simultaneous threads; it does not support Intel Hyper-Threading. The processor has a 2.1 GHz base clock speed by default, but this could be restricted by the BIOS in some pre-built systems. The Core i5-8500T can also function at a 25-W TDP, but this drops the base clock speed to 1.6 GHz. More information about the Core i5-8500T can be found on the Intel product page. We left all power options on “Auto” in the BIOS for our tests.

The processor can clock up to 3.2 GHz across all cores and 3.5 GHz on a single core thanks to Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 support. By contrast, the Core i5-8500 has a higher maximum clock speed because of its 65-W TDP. Intel does not sell an Intel Core i5-8500K, with its equivalent overclockable CPUs being the Core i5-8600K or the brand-new Core i5-9600K.

The Test System

The Case and AIO from Caseking.
The Case and AIO from Caseking.

We chose to use an ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E gaming motherboard and 16 GB of G-Skill DDR4 RAM for our test system. The RAM clocks at 3,400 MHz, which we set to an XMP profile in the BIOS. We left everything else in the BIOS at factory settings. We only changed settings when we overclocked our test system.

Caseking kindly supplied us with a Raijintek AIO with a 360 ° radiator and a Raijintek test bench that they generously adorned with Notebookcheck branding. The former proved to be oversized for our test system, but we used it nonetheless to make our tests comparable with those that we have conducted with other processors.

We have also equipped our test system with the same graphics card and RAM that we used in our Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 test systems. We have included these components in our power consumption measurements too.

We would have liked to equip our test system with the same ADATA SX910 512 GB drive with which we tested the Intel Core i9-9900K. Unfortunately, a defect caused us to resort to using a 240-GB SanDisk Ultra II SSD instead.

ASUS and Caseking provided us with the following hardware for our test system:

  • Intel Core i5-8500T
  • ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming (BIOS 0506, Default Settings, XMP 1 for DDR4-3400)
  • G-Skill Sniper X DDR4-3400 Storage Kit 2 x 8 GB
  • Raijintek Orcus 360 (AIO)
  • Case: Raijintek PEAN test bench

Additional hardware that we used for our test system:

  • XFX AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  • LC Power 1,200-Watt Power Supply
  • SanDisk Ultra II 240 GB
  • Samsung Evo 850 500 GB (for games)
  • Western Digital 2 TB (for games)
The test system
The test system
The test system
The test system
The test system
The test system
The test system
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming with Intel Core i9-9900K
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
LC Power 1,200 Watt
LC Power 1,200 Watt
Raijintek Orcus 360 (AIO)
Raijintek Orcus 360 (AIO)
G-Skill Siper X DDR4-3400
XFX AMD Radeon RX Vega 64

CPU Benchmarks

The Core i5-8500T generally ranks between the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G and the Ryzen 3 2200G APUs in CPU benchmarks, which makes the Core i5-8500T an impressively efficient processor. Every user will have their preference though. The Ryzen 5 2600, for example, is a more powerful hexa-core processor than the Core i5-8500T thanks to AMD’s SMT technology, but the former has a 65-W TDP. The same applies to the two other Ryzen APUs in our comparison table. The AMD processors also integrate Vega GPUs, which are significantly more powerful than the Intel UHD Graphics 630, so there are benefits of using a processor from either AMD or Intel.

In short, the Core i5-8500T is efficient enough for use in an office PC or an HTPC system for use in a living room.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
Intel Extreme Utility
Intel Extreme Utility (XTU) benchmark
 
 
Performance Rating - Percent
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
46.3 pt
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X -1!
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
42.4 pt
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
40 pt
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X -1!
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
39.5 pt
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
38.5 pt
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
37.2 pt
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
36.4 pt
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
34.4 pt
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G -1!
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
34.1 pt
Intel Core i5-7500T -7!
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
32 pt
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
213 Points +47%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
187 Points +29%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
176 Points +21%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
163 Points +12%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
161 Points +11%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
159 Points +10%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
158 Points +9%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
150 Points +3%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
145 Points
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
129 Points -11%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2040 Points +142%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1801 Points +114%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1551 Points +84%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1341 Points +59%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1323 Points +57%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1270 Points +51%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
856 (824.96min - 856.42max) Points +2%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
843 Points
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
581 (509.25min - 581.32max) Points -31%
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
512 Points -39%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
21.63 Points +152%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
18.68 Points +117%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
16.71 Points +94%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
14.56 Points +69%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
13.71 Points +59%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
13.61 Points +58%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
9.46 Points +10%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8.6 Points
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
6.66 Points -23%
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
5.86 Points -32%
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.44 Points +48%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.11 Points +28%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.95 Points +18%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.81 Points +10%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.78 Points +8%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
1.77 Points +7%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.76 Points +7%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
1.68 Points +2%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.65 Points
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
1.48 Points -10%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
825 Seconds * -47%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
561 Seconds *
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
550 Seconds * +2%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
375.7 Seconds * +33%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
353.5 Seconds * +37%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
350 Seconds * +38%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
308.3 Seconds * +45%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
264 Seconds * +53%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
219.2 Seconds * +61%
wPrime 2.10
32m
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
10.8 s * -35%
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
10.53 s * -31%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8.025 s *
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
6.9 s * +14%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.5 s * +31%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.341 s * +33%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.203 s * +35%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.141 s * +36%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4.62 s * +42%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3.484 s * +57%
1024m
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
333.2 s * -42%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
333 s * -42%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
235.1 s *
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
198 s * +16%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
140.9 s * +40%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
133.8 s * +43%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
130.5 s * +44%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
129.1 s * +45%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
96.6 s * +59%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
85.6 s * +64%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
26.5 fps +321%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
16.3 fps +159%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
10.8 fps +71%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
9.51 fps +51%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7.79 fps +24%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6.3 fps
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0
Pass 1
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
270 (265min - 272max) fps +38%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
230 (228min - 231max) fps +17%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
226.7 fps +16%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
207.4 fps +6%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
205.3 (204.6min - 207.33max) fps +5%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
196 (196min - 196max) fps
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
195.7 (195.08min - 196.35max) fps 0%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
184 (183.76min - 184.87max) fps -6%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
171.6 (162.5min - 180.43max) fps -12%
Pass 2
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
120.5 (116min - 121max) fps +133%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
104.5 fps +102%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
89.7 (89.5min - 89.85max) fps +73%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
82.1 (82min - 82.4max) fps +58%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
80.5 fps +55%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
75 (74.84min - 75.82max) fps +45%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
51.8 (51.6min - 51.9max) fps
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
47.95 (47.59min - 49.17max) fps -7%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
39.7 (39.63min - 39.8max) fps -23%
WinRAR - Result
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8518 KB/s +97%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7435 KB/s +72%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4779 KB/s +10%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4599 KB/s +6%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4517 KB/s +4%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4440 KB/s +3%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4331 KB/s
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
3846 KB/s -11%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
3229 KB/s -25%
TrueCrypt
AES Mean 100MB
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
11.5 GB/s +238%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
10.6 GB/s +212%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
9 GB/s +165%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8 GB/s +135%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7.5 GB/s +121%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
5.2 GB/s +53%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4.9 GB/s +44%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3.4 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
3.1 GB/s -9%
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
2.7 GB/s -21%
Twofish Mean 100MB
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.9 GB/s +202%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.6 GB/s +154%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.4 GB/s +123%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.2 GB/s +91%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1 GB/s +59%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1 GB/s +59%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
0.808 GB/s +28%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.629 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
0.476 GB/s -24%
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
0.445 GB/s -29%
Serpent Mean 100MB
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.2 GB/s +234%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1 GB/s +179%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.899 GB/s +150%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.78 GB/s +117%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.732 GB/s +104%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.668 GB/s +86%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
0.5 GB/s +39%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.359 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
0.304 GB/s -15%
Intel Core i5-7500T
2700 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
0.26 GB/s -28%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6339 Points +37%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5783 Points +25%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4999 Points +8%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4706 Points +2%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4681 Points +1%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4631 Points 0%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4626 Points
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
4268 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
4148 Points -10%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
34233 Points +87%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
25919 Points +41%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
24546 Points +34%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
22776 Points +24%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
21616 Points +18%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
20633 Points +13%
Intel Core i5-8500T
2100 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
18335 Points
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
13653 Points -26%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
11266 Points -39%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark loop

Intel Core i5-8500T during our tests
Intel Core i5-8500T during our tests

We subjected the Core i5-8500T to a Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark loop to find how the processor performed under sustained load. We recorded an average power consumption of 42.5 W during the benchmark loop and average clock speed of 3.2 GHz, the latter of which coincides with Intel’s specifications. Moreover, the core temperature averaged a comparatively cool 53.4 °C (~128 °F), probably in part because of our oversized Raijintek AIO. Our test system averaged 760 points in Cinebench R15, which is a way off what the Ryzen 5 2400G achieves. However, we suspect that the log file that we ran in the background during the benchmark loop reduced these scores somewhat.

04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810855Tooltip
Intel Core i5-8500T, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i5-8500T, Intel Core i5-8500T: Ø760 (756.67-764.13)
MSI B350I Pro AC - DDR4-2933 - 2GB GPU AMD Ryzen 5 2400G, AMD Ryzen 5 2400G: Ø833 (824.96-856.42)
MSI B350I Pro AC - DDR4-2933 AMD Ryzen 3 2200G, AMD Ryzen 3 2200G: Ø581 (571.45-584.11)

Gaming Performance

Synthetic benchmarks demonstrate that the Core i5-8500T is not designed for gaming, with scores markedly decreasing as we increased the resolution of the benchmarks. The processor is also a bottleneck at low resolutions, which explains why the Core i7-8700K outscores the Core i5-8500T in the 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Graphics benchmark.

The gap between the Core i5-8500T and Core i7-8700K is clearer in-game benchmarks, particularly at low presets and resolutions. Our Core i5-8500T test system scores around 15% fewer FPS than its more powerful sibling in games like "Assassin’s Creed Odyssey" and "Forza Horizon 4". This performance gap increases dramatically in CPU intensive games like "Final Fantasy XV" though, in which the Core i5-8500T averages around 100 FPS fewer than the Core i7-8700K. Moreover, the Core i5-8500T finished far behind all AMD Ryzen APUs in our FFXV comparison table too. Gaming may become increasingly difficult on a Core i5-8500T system as newer games take advantage of more cores and benefit from HT or SMT support.

In general, our gaming tests revealed that the Core i5-8500T reaches its limits when playing current triple-A titled. We would recommend buying an Intel Core i7-8700K or a new AMD Ryzen APU if you want a gaming CPU over a Core i5-8500T. The new Ryzen APUs tend to be considerably cheaper than their Intel counterparts, but with up to 8 cores.

Insider tip: The new Ryzen chips are better value for money than the Intel equivalents.

Performance Rating - Percent
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -2!
Intel Core i9-9900K
99.6 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
99 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
92.3 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
87.2 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
84 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
82.7 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
75 pt
3DMark
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
7284 Points +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
7238 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
7221 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
7183 Points -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
6815 Points -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
6673 Points -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
6530 Points -10%
1280x720 Sky Diver Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
75462 Points +31%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
74475 Points +30%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
73929 Points +29%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
72885 Points +27%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
67352 Points +17%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
65638 Points +14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
57497 Points
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
156190 Points +157%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
155414 Points +156%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
127011 Points +109%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
120426 Points +98%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
118153 Points +94%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
107514 Points +77%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
60794 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
23194 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
23130 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
23117 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
22338 Points -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
21547 Points -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
20808 Points -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
20234 Points -13%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
439293 Points +39%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
424478 Points +34%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
378535 Points +20%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
368724 Points +17%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
347674 Points +10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
317678 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
316482 Points
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
393717 Points +33%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
378716 Points +28%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
342631 Points +16%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
311003 Points +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
309591 Points +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
295034 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
286380 Points -3%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
24259 Points +25%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
23122 Points +19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
21983 Points +13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
21966 Points +13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
20694 Points +6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
19439 Points
1280x720 Performance Physics
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
15025 Points +70%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
15013 Points +70%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
13959 Points +58%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
12405 Points +41%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
12074 Points +37%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
8816 Points
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark 11
Performance Rating - Percent
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
99.7 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
94.4 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
86.3 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
84.2 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -6!
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
84.2 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -6!
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
83.8 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -6!
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
83.6 pt
The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
332.1 (289min - 377max) fps +47%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
318.2 (289min - 352max) fps +41%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
285.1 (259min - 331max) fps +26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
284.8 (216min - 294max) fps +26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
283.7 (248min - 321max) fps +26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
258.5 (219min - 295max) fps +14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
225.9 (176min - 251max) fps
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
80.1 (69min - 87max) fps +3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
79.4 (70min - 86max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
77.7 (67min - 86max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
77 (67min - 84max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
73.3 (62min - 82max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
73.3 (62min - 80max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
69.4 (58min - 76max) fps -11%
Rise of the Tomb Raider
1024x768 Lowest Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
305.2 (278min - 339max) fps +38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
281.7 (266min - 303max) fps +27%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
263.8 (256min - 274max) fps +19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
263.7 (256min - 276max) fps +19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
262.2 (252min - 300max) fps +18%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
253.2 (243min - 262max) fps +14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
221.6 (204min - 244max) fps
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
100.8 (86min - 111max) fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
99 (85min - 112max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
96.6 (83min - 107max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
94.7 (78min - 106max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
94 (82min - 103max) fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
91.5 (82min - 103max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
91.3 (79min - 101max) fps -5%
Battlefield 1
1280x720 Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
200 (173min - 201max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
200 (186min - 201max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
199.1 (182min - 201max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
197.6 (183min - 201max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
196.2 (185min - 201max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
196 (181min - 201max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
181.4 (141min - 194max) fps -7%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
148 (134min - 173max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
147.7 (137min - 155max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
146 (131min - 155max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
145.1 (131min - 167max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
136 (123min - 142max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
135.2 (124min - 148max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
127.1 (116min - 144max) fps -13%
Assassin´s Creed Origins
1280x720 Very Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
105 fps +31%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
84 fps +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
80 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
76 fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
70 fps -12%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
68 (34min - 93max) fps -15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
67 fps -16%
1920x1080 Ultra High Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
70 fps +6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
67 fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
66 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
63 fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
59 fps -11%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
57 (6min - 93max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
57 fps -14%
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
1280x720 Lite Quality
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
172.1 fps +153%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
164.4 (87min - 226max) fps +141%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
145.6 (94min - 177max) fps +114%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
141.5 (72min - 177max) fps +108%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
133.6 (88min - 191max) fps +96%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
133.4 (78min - 177max) fps +96%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
68.1 (49min - 198max) fps
1920x1080 High Quality
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
62.5 fps +15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
61.4 (39min - 99max) fps +13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
58.9 (23min - 92max) fps +8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
58.5 (23min - 92max) fps +7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
58.5 (23min - 92max) fps +7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
56.7 (20min - 89max) fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
55 (19min - 86max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
54.5 (34min - 85max) fps
Far Cry 5
1280x720 Low Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
167 (136min - 227max) fps +35%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
144 (114min - 194max) fps +16%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
125 (99min - 171max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
124 (98min - 165max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
122 (97min - 162max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
118 (90min - 159max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
114 (89min - 154max) fps -8%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
117 (106min - 137max) fps +19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
111 (90min - 128max) fps +13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
99 (78min - 124max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
98 (75min - 125max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
98 (79min - 125max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
96 (75min - 121max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
94 (74min - 117max) fps -4%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
1280x720 Lowest Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
207 fps +34%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
188 fps +21%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
155 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
107 fps -31%
1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
91 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
91 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
91 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
85 fps -7%
Forza Horizon 4
1280x720 Very Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
252 fps +24%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
234 fps +15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
203 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
200 fps -1%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:2xMS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
132 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
131 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
131 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
121 fps -8%
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey
1280x720 Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
101 fps +28%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
92 fps +16%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
79 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
73 (20min - 101max) fps -8%
1920x1080 Ultra High Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
51 fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
50 (25min - 75max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i5-8500T
50 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
48 fps -4%

The Intel Core i5-8500T & an AMD Radeon RX Vega 64

low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 225.9 184.4 131.9 77.7 46.2
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 221.6 190.1 122.2 96.6 48.7
Battlefield 1 (2016) 196 181.4 163 146 65
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 80 74 72 66 35
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 68.1 61.2 54.5 27.9
Far Cry 5 (2018) 124 110 104 98 45
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 155 111 103 91 32
Forza Horizon 4 (2018) 203 167 160 131 68
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 79 72 66 50 29

The Intel Core i7-8700K & an AMD Radeon RX Vega 64

low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 284.8 228.5 136.9 79.4 49.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 281.7 196.4 120.9 99 50.2
Battlefield 1 (2016) 200 200 167.6 147.7 65.8
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 84 77 76 67 35
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 164.4 91.4 61.4 28.1
Far Cry 5 (2018) 144 124 118 111 46
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 188 115 104 91 32
Forza Horizon 4 (2018) 234 171 162 131 68
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 92 83 81 51 29

Application Performance

The Core i5-8500T consistently outscored the Ryzen 5 2400G and the Ryzen 3 2200G in PCMark benchmarks, while the Intel chip outscored all the new Ryzen APUs in PCMark 8 Work v2 and Home v2 benchmarks. The Ryzen 5 2600 generally finished higher in our PCMark comparison tables primarily because it can use AMD SMT to execute up to twelve threads simultaneously. The higher thread count ensures that the Ryzen 5 2600 has better system performance than the Core i5-8500T.

Our test system performed solidly in daily use with no significant latencies. We could only equip our system with a SATA SSD, which somewhat limited the system performance. An NVMe SSD would have improved PCMark benchmark scores. The Core i5-8500T is powerful enough for normal office tasks and browsing the internet. The integrated UHD Graphics 630 also helps reduce CPU usage by taking over for tasks like video streaming. The UHD Graphics 630 supports the Google VP9 codec and the HDCP 2.2 codec, the latter of which can decode 4K videos in Windows 10.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 10 - Score
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7764 Points +42%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7337 Points +34%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7035 Points +29%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7018 Points +28%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6465 Points +18%
Intel Core i5-8500T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5473 Points
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
4160 Points -24%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
4011 Points -27%
PCMark 8
Work Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5975 Points +9%
Intel Core i5-8500T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5495 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4891 Points -11%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4750 Points -14%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4633 Points -16%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4598 Points -16%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
4297 Points -22%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
4283 Points -22%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8604 Points +12%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8217 Points +7%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7948 Points +3%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7774 Points +1%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7711 Points 0%
Intel Core i5-8500T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7686 Points
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
5053 Points -34%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
4952 Points -36%
Home Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5523 Points +13%
Intel Core i5-8500T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4898 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4483 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4392 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4311 Points -12%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4209 Points -14%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
3711 Points -24%
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
3638 Points -26%

Emissions

Core temperatures under load
Core temperatures under load

The T-series chips generally score highly for their energy efficiency, a trend which Intel has continued with the Core i5-8500T. We must point out that our comparison tables below are the power consumption for our test systems and not just the processor. We did not include a dedicated GPU with our Ryzen 3 2200G and Ryzen 5 2400G test systems, which is why they appear to be significantly more power efficient than our Core i5-8500T test system.

The Core i5-8500T powered test system idles at around 64 W, which is 4 W more than what the Core i7-8700K achieves in the same test system. As expected, the latter consumes more under load, but amazingly the Core i5-8500T consumes significantly more than 35 W during a Prime95 stress test. According to Intel Extreme Utility (XTU), our test processor consumes up to 57 W, while it also averaged 42.5 W in our loop of the Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark. The BIOS settings allow the CPU to exceed its rated TDP limit should it need to. Likewise, the BIOS can restrict the processor to its 35-W limit, but this will correspond with reduced performance.

This is not a deceptive move by Intel as the Core i5-8500T provides a better energy balance than its Core i7 counterpart. The two CPUs consume up to 354 W in our test system, but the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 consumes a large share of this.

Overall, the Core i5-8500T is flexible enough to create an efficient and quiet system, particularly as users can set the TDP down to 25 W. The processor is so frugal that a system could be passively cooled with the right cooler.

Power Consumption – Intel Core i5-8500T

At idle
At idle
During a one-hour stress test
During a one-hour stress test
During a Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark look
During a Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark look
While playing The Witcher 3 at 1,080p on the ultra preset
While playing The Witcher 3 at 1,080p on the ultra preset

Power consumption - Intel Core i7-8700K

At idle
At idle
During a one-hour stress test
During a one-hour stress test
During a Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark look
During a Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark look
While playing The Witcher 3 at 1,080p on the ultra preset
While playing The Witcher 3 at 1,080p on the ultra preset
Power Consumption
Cinebench R15 Multi (external Monitor)
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 74.3 W)
219.2 Watt * -103%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
203.2 (197min - 205max) Watt * -88%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
164.4 (159.3min - 165.75max) Watt * -52%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
149.5 Watt * -38%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
143.2 Watt * -32%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
134.3 (132min - 136max) Watt * -24%
Intel Core i5-8500T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
108.1 (106min - 110max) Watt *
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (Idle: 23.5 W)
95.3 (94min - 98max) Watt * +12%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000) (Idle: 22.7 W)
69 (62min - 71max) Watt * +36%
Prime95 V2810 Stress (external Monitor)
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 74.3 W)
211.2 (205min - 216max) Watt * -59%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
202 Watt * -52%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 71.3 W)
171.7 (166min - 176max) Watt * -29%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
157.5 Watt * -19%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
142.7 (135min - 158max) Watt * -8%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
140.9 Watt * -6%
Intel Core i5-8500T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
132.7 (120min - 145max) Watt *
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (Idle: 23.5 W)
106.5 Watt * +20%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000) (Idle: 22.7 W)
95.4 (82min - 98max) Watt * +28%
1920x1080 The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
421 Watt * -19%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 74.3 W)
408 Watt * -15%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
396.5 (376min - 415max) Watt * -12%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
378.2 Watt * -7%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (80 fps)
366.1 Watt * -4%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
354.4 (301min - 378max) Watt * -0%
Intel Core i5-8500T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
353.6 (271min - 395max) Watt *
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (13 fps, Idle: 23.5 W)
74.7 Watt * +79%
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000) (12 fps, Idle: 22.7 W)
67.8 (63min - 70max) Watt * +81%

* ... smaller is better

Overclocking

It is not possible to overclock the Intel Core i5-8500T because it does not have an unlocked multiplier. Intel only allows users to overclock its K processors.

Verdict

The Intel Core i5-8500T desktop processor. Test device courtesy of caseking.de.
The Intel Core i5-8500T desktop processor. Test device courtesy of caseking.de.

The Intel Core i5-8500T is a 6-core processor that would be a great basis for a powerful office computer or a small living room PC. Intel has integrated a UHD Graphics 630 too, which means that users will only need a dedicated GPU if they want to play games. Please be aware that the Core i5-8500T will only work with an Intel 300 series chipset motherboard.

The 35-W TDP that Intel states is a theoretical value, which our test CPU consistently exceed during our tests when left at “auto” settings. The Core i5-8500T can even operate below its TDP, but users will first need to set this within the BIOS. In short, the CPU is efficient enough to be passively cooled.

The Core i5-8500T is suitable for numerous tasks thanks to its power-efficient design. Users could even pair the CPU with a powerful GPU for some gaming, even though Intel does not market the Core i5-8500T as being suitable for such activities.

With that said, the Core i5-8500T currently costs around €340 (~$386), which is considerably more expensive than comparable AMD APUs. Moreover, The Ryzen 7 2700X, which has 8 cores and 16 threads, currently costs as much as the Core i5-8500T. The APU is rated up to 105 W though, which is almost double the maximum that the Core i5-8500T consumed during our tests.

Unfortunately, Intel pricing has tended to only move upwards recently. The company currently has production issues with certain processors that have prevented it from meeting market demand.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Intel Core i5-8500T (6 cores, 6 Threads, 2.1 GHz, 35 W) Desktop CPU Review
Sebastian Bade, 2018-11-19 (Update: 2018-11-20)