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Intel Core i5-8500B

Intel Core i5-8500B: An Obsolete Fighter or a Budget Option in 2025?

Let's figure out who should pay attention to this processor years after its release.

Architecture and Manufacturing Process: The Legacy of Coffee Lake

The Intel Core i5-8500B processor, released in 2018, is based on the Coffee Lake architecture and a 14nm manufacturing process. Despite its age, it remains relevant in the budget segment thanks to its 6 physical cores without Hyper-Threading support (6 threads). The base clock frequency is 3.0 GHz, with the ability to boost up to 4.1 GHz in turbo mode. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 (base frequency 350 MHz, dynamic frequency 1.1 GHz) supports 4K displays and hardware decoding for H.265/VP9, which is useful for streaming video.

However, the 14nm technology in 2025 seems outdated compared to AMD’s 7nm Ryzen and Apple’s 5nm M-series. This affects energy efficiency and heat generation, but for basic tasks, the cores are sufficient.

TDP 65W: Heat and Noise vs. Stability

A TDP of 65W is high for laptops. Such a processor is installed in devices with enhanced cooling systems: workstations, gaming, or multimedia laptops. In 2025, models with the i5-8500B are typically bulky devices with a chassis thickness of 20mm or more and a weight starting from 2.2 kg.

Under sustained loads (e.g., rendering), the coolers operate at high speeds, which can be annoying due to noise. However, for office tasks, the cooling system manages in passive or quiet mode.

Performance: What Can the i5-8500B Do in 2025?

Geekbench 6:

- Single-core task: 1374 points — enough for quick responses in a browser, Word, Excel.

- Multi-core task: 4968 points — suitable for editing 1080p video in DaVinci Resolve or working on light projects in Photoshop.

Real-World Scenarios:

- Office: Simultaneously working with 20+ tabs in Chrome, documents, and messaging apps — no lags.

- Multimedia: Watching 4K videos on YouTube, editing in Shotcut — smooth, but rendering a 10-minute video takes about 15 minutes (compared to 5–7 minutes with the Ryzen 5 6600H).

- Gaming: At low settings in CS2 — 40–50 FPS, GTA V — 35–45 FPS. For AAA titles in 2025 (e.g., Starfield), integrated graphics are insufficient.

Turbo Boost: In laptops with quality cooling systems, the processor can maintain 4.0–4.1 GHz under load for up to 30 seconds before dropping to 3.5–3.7 GHz. In thin chassis (e.g., Dell Inspiron 5580), throttling begins after just 10–15 seconds.

Usage Scenarios: Who Is It Suitable For?

1. Office Workers: Ideal for Teams, Excel with macros, 1C.

2. Students: Handles coding in VS Code, running virtual machines (e.g., Ubuntu) — manageable, but with limitations on parallel tasks.

3. Home Users: Streaming video, Zoom, light photo editing.

4. Budget Gamers: Only suitable for older or less demanding games.

Not Suitable For:

- Creators working with 4K content.

- Gamers expecting ultra settings.

- Those who value compactness and silence.

Battery Life: 65W vs. Mobility

Laptops with the i5-8500B are equipped with 45–60 Wh batteries. Under moderate load (web browsing, video), the battery life is 4–5 hours. In comparison, modern Ryzen 7 7735U (28W TDP) provide 8–10 hours under similar conditions.

Energy-Saving Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Dynamic frequency switching to reduce power consumption.

- C-States: Disabling unused cores.

However, due to the outdated manufacturing process, these technologies are less effective than in chips from 2023–2025.

Competitors: Who to Compare With?

- AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (2021): 6 cores/12 threads, 15W TDP, Vega 7. Better performance in multi-threaded tasks (+20% in Cinebench R23) and battery life. Price of laptops: $600–700 (new, 2025).

- Apple M1 (2020): 8 cores, 10W TDP. Single-core performance is 25% higher, multi-core is 40% higher. Battery lasts up to 15 hours. Downside — limited compatibility with Windows software.

- Intel Core i5-1240P (2022): 12 cores (4P+8E), 28W TDP. 35% faster in multitasking.

Conclusion: The i5-8500B falls behind modern counterparts but is more affordable (see below).

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Affordable price for laptops: $500–700 (new models in 2025, e.g., HP ProBook 450 G8).

- Reliable performance for basic tasks.

- Support for Windows 11 and Linux.

Weaknesses:

- High power consumption.

- No support for PCIe 4.0 and Thunderbolt 4.

- Outdated graphics.

How to Choose a Laptop with i5-8500B in 2025?

1. Type of Device:

- Workstation: Dell Precision 3530 — enhanced cooling, USB-C/HDMI ports.

- Universal Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad 3 — balance of price ($550) and battery life.

2. What to Look For:

- Cooling: 2 fans + copper pipes.

- Screen: IPS matrix with 1080p resolution.

- Upgrade: Ability to install SSD NVMe and 32GB RAM.

3. Avoid:

- Ultrabooks with passive cooling — will overheat.

- Models with HDD instead of SSD.

Final Verdict: Who Should Buy?

The Intel Core i5-8500B in 2025 is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for a laptop under $700 for work and study.

- Do not plan to run demanding games or professional editors.

- Are willing to accept 4–5 hours of battery life.

Alternative: If the budget allows for $800–1000, it’s better to get a laptop with the Ryzen 5 7535U or Intel Core i5-1340P — these will last longer and provide better performance.

Key Benefit of the i5-8500B: "Price/reliability" ratio for undemanding users who value proven solutions.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

April 2018

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.

i5-8500B

Code Name

Coffee 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

3.00 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.

4.10 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.10 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

9 MB

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1440

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

65 W

Max. Operating Temperature

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

100°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.

DDR4-2666

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

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD 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@30Hz

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.

9 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.

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

1374

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

4968

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

999

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

4446

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2556

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

9009

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon E-2224

1472 +7.1%

Xeon Silver 4316

1420 +3.3%

Core i5-8500B

1374

Core i7-4770K

1341 -2.4%

Xeon Gold 6416H

1289 -6.2%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

5578 +12.3%

Ryzen 3 5300G

5363 +8%

Core i5-8500B

4968

Xeon E5-2628 v3

4661 -6.2%

Ryzen 7 3780U

4414 -11.2%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

EPYC 7443

1040 +4.1%

Core i5-8500

1019 +2%

Core i5-8500B

999

Core i5-6685R

971 -2.8%

Xeon Gold 6146

952 -4.7%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-10325

4922 +10.7%

Xeon E5-4610

4676 +5.2%

Core i5-8500B

4446

Core i5-7640X

4230 -4.9%

Pentium Gold 8505

3980 -10.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon W-3375

2643 +3.4%

Core i5-8600

2596 +1.6%

Core i5-8500B

2556

Xeon Gold 6336Y

2522 -1.3%

Xeon E3-1270

2473 -3.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-5820K

9857 +9.4%

Xeon E-2134

9317 +3.4%

Core i5-8500B

9009

Xeon W-11155MLE

8502 -5.6%

Core i7-8569U

8200 -9%