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Intel Core i5-7500T

Intel Core i5-7500T: Review and Practical Guide for Compact Systems (2025)

Relevant as of April 2025

1. Key Specifications: Architecture and Performance

The Intel Core i5-7500T processor, released in 2017, belongs to the Kaby Lake generation (7th generation). Despite its age, it remains relevant for budget and energy-efficient systems due to several features:

- 4 cores/4 threads without Hyper-Threading support.

- Base frequency: 2.7 GHz, maximum turbo frequency — 3.3 GHz.

- Process technology: 14 nm — outdated by 2025 standards, but providing low thermal output (TDP 35 W).

- L3 cache: 6 MB — sufficient for basic tasks.

- Integrated graphics: Intel HD Graphics 630 — supports 4K via HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2.

Performance (Geekbench 6):

- Single-core: 1105 points — comparable to modern budget processors like the Intel Celeron G6900 (around 1200 points).

- Multi-core: 3056 points — weaker than contemporary 4-core CPUs with SMT support (e.g., Ryzen 3 7300X — 4200 points).

Key Features:

- Energy efficiency — ideal for compact PCs and systems with passive cooling.

- Support for hardware decoding of VP9 and HEVC — relevant for 4K streaming.

2. Compatible Motherboards

Socket: LGA 1151 (version v2, not compatible with 300 series chipsets for Coffee Lake).

Chipsets:

- H270/B250/Q270 — optimal for home and office PCs.

- Z270 — for enthusiasts (memory overclocking, more ports).

Examples of motherboards (new, 2025):

- ASUS Prime B250M-A ($70–90) — micro-ATX, 4 DDR4 slots, M.2.

- Gigabyte H270N-WIFI ($110–130) — mini-ITX, Wi-Fi 5, two RAM slots.

Selection Tips:

- Ensure that the BIOS is updated to support Kaby Lake (for motherboards manufactured in 2016-2017).

- For mini-PCs, it's better to choose mini-ITX with HDMI 2.0 support (e.g., ASRock H270M-ITX/ac).

3. Supported Memory

- Type: DDR4-2400 (officially), DDR3L-1600 (rarely used).

- Modes: Dual-channel (recommended pair of modules).

- Maximum capacity: 64 GB (theoretically), but practically limited to 32 GB due to chipset restrictions.

Recommendations (2025):

- 16 GB DDR4-2400 (2×8 GB) — optimal for Windows 11 and multitasking.

- Avoid DDR3L — such motherboards are rare and do not provide a performance boost.

4. Power Supply: Calculations and Recommendations

With a TDP of 35 W, a system with the i5-7500T consumes ~80–120 W under load (considering a low-level graphics card like the GTX 1650).

Recommended PSUs:

- 300–450 W with 80+ Bronze certification (e.g., be quiet! System Power 10 450W, $45–55).

- For systems without a discrete graphics card, 250 W is sufficient (Corsair CX250M, $35).

Tip: Don’t skimp on the PSU for mini-PCs — compact cases require quality cooling for components.

5. Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Low power consumption and heat output.

- Sufficient performance for office and multimedia tasks.

- Support for 4K and hardware decoding.

Cons:

- No Hyper-Threading — lags in multi-threading performance.

- Outdated architecture — does not support AVX-512, PCIe 4.0.

- Limited upgrade potential (maximum — Core i7-7700K).

6. Use Cases

- Office tasks: Document work, browsing (20+ tabs), Zoom.

- Multimedia: 4K viewing, streaming, light editing in Shotcut or DaVinci Resolve.

- Gaming: CS:GO (100–120 FPS on medium settings), GTA V (50–60 FPS), indie projects. For modern AAA games (Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield), an external graphics card at the level of RTX 3050 or higher will be needed.

Practical Example: A user assembled an HTPC with the i5-7500T in a Silverstone ML05 case (4K Netflix, Plex, PS2 emulators).

7. Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 5 2400G (2018): 4 cores/8 threads, Vega 11. Better in multitasking and gaming without discrete graphics, but with a TDP of 65 W. New ones priced at $130–150.

- Intel Core i3-12100 (2022): 4 cores/8 threads, Alder Lake. Single-threaded performance is 40% higher. New — $110–130.

Conclusion (2025): The i5-7500T falls behind modern budget CPUs but is advantageous for ready-built compact solutions.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

1. Case: Choose mini-ITX (Fractal Design Node 202) or micro-ATX (Cooler Master Q300L).

2. Cooling: The boxed cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, consider the Noctua NH-L9i ($40).

3. Storage: An SSD NVMe is essential (e.g., Kingston NV2 500 GB, $35) — will speed up OS loading.

4. Networking: If the motherboard lacks Wi-Fi, add a PCIe adapter with Wi-Fi 6 support (TP-Link Archer TX3000E, $30).

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the i5-7500T Suitable For?

This processor is a good choice if:

- The budget is limited, and newer CPUs seem excessive.

- A quiet and compact PC is needed for office, study, or media center use.

- Planning to use it in ready-made solutions (such as Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro mini-PC).

Price in 2025: $120–150 for a new processor (rare supplies). More commonly found in pre-built systems.

Alternative: If a modern platform with upgrade potential is needed, consider the Intel Core i3-14100 ($130) or AMD Ryzen 5 5500 ($120).

Conclusion: The Intel Core i5-7500T is a time-tested option for niche tasks. It may not suit gamers or professionals but will serve as a reliable foundation for low-demand systems focused on energy efficiency.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 2017

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i5-7500T

Code Name

Kaby Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.70 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

L3 Cache

6 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1151

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

80°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2133/2400 | DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

64 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 630

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.10 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@24Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

6 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1105

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3056

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

856

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2749

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1933

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

5253

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-9700E

1172 +6.1%

Xeon E5-2643

1143 +3.4%

Core i5-7500T

1105

Core i5-1145GRE

1071 -3.1%

Xeon E5-2690 v3

1015 -8.1%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i3-10100E

3527 +15.4%

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400GE

3302 +8%

Core i5-7500T

3056

Xeon E3-1290 v2

2870 -6.1%

Core i5-4670T

2581 -15.5%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen Embedded V1807B

886 +3.5%

Core i7-3770K

872 +1.9%

Core i5-7500T

856

Xeon Silver 4310T

839 -2%

Xeon E3-1220

820 -4.2%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 3 3200G

3033 +10.3%

Core i5-6400

2865 +4.2%

Core i5-7500T

2749

EPYC Embedded 3151

2616 -4.8%

Core i5-4440

2483 -9.7%

Passmark CPU Single Core

EPYC 7502P

1982 +2.5%

Core i7-4820K

1959 +1.3%

Core i5-7500T

1933

Core i5-4570T

1904 -1.5%

Core i5-3450

1872 -3.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i3-1115G4E

5826 +10.9%

Core i5-4670

5559 +5.8%

Core i5-7500T

5253

Xeon E5-1607 v3

4986 -5.1%

FX-8120

4639 -11.7%