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Intel Core i7-8500Y

Intel Core i7-8500Y: a compact chip for mobility. Review and recommendations for 2025

Introduction

In the age of dominance of 5nm and 3nm processors, the Intel Core i7-8500Y, released in 2018, seems like an anachronism. However, it can still be found in budget ultrabooks and hybrid devices released in 2023-2024, which remain on the market in 2025. Let's explore who this chip is suitable for in current realities and what compromises you may have to make.

Architecture and Technology Process: A Legacy from the 14nm Era

Amber Lake Y architecture is Intel's response to market demands for ultra-thin devices. However, the 14nm technology process, relevant in 2018, appears outdated in 2025. For comparison, modern Intel processors, like Meteor Lake, use 7nm technology, while Apple's M3 employs 3nm.

Cores and Threads:

- 2 physical cores, 4 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Base frequency: 1.5 GHz, turbo mode — up to 4.2 GHz.

- L3 cache: 4 MB.

Integrated Graphics UHD 615:

- 24 execution units (EU).

- Maximum frequency: 1050 MHz.

- Supports 4K@60Hz via DisplayPort.

Architecture Features:

- The chip is optimized for low power consumption, but the small number of cores limits multitasking.

- The graphics handle VP9 and H.265 video decoding but are not designed for 3D rendering.

Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Longevity

TDP of 5W is a key feature of the processor. This allows:

- Using passive cooling (fanless), as seen in the Microsoft Surface Go 3 (2023).

- Ensuring laptop runtime of up to 10-12 hours with a battery capacity of 40-50 Wh.

However, low TDP imposes limitations:

- Under load (e.g., video rendering), the frequency reduces due to overheating.

- Turbo mode operates for a short duration — up to 30 seconds.

Performance: The Realities of 2025

Geekbench 6:

- Single-Core: 891 — acceptable for basic tasks.

- Multi-Core: 1439 — weaker than the budget Apple M1 (around 2500).

Real-World Scenarios:

- Office Work:

- Microsoft Office, Google Workspace — no delays.

- Working simultaneously with 10+ tabs in Chrome is possible but may experience slowdowns.

- Multimedia:

- Watching 4K videos on YouTube — smooth.

- Editing photos in Lightroom — slow (exporting a 20 MP photo takes 5-7 seconds compared to 2-3 seconds with Ryzen 5 7530U).

- Gaming:

- CS2: 720p, low settings — 25-30 FPS.

- Minecraft (without shaders): 40-45 FPS.

- Modern AAA titles — unplayable.

Turbo Boost Mode:

- Boosting up to 4.2 GHz works only for a single core.

- In Cinebench R23 tests, the single-thread score is 890, while the multi-thread score is 1750.

Use Cases: Who is the i7-8500Y Suitable for in 2025?

1. Students — for lectures, text work, and Zoom meetings.

2. Travelers — compact devices like the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7 (13-inch screen, 1.2 kg).

3. Office Workers — if tasks are limited to Excel and a browser.

Not Suitable for:

- Freelancers working with Premiere Pro or Blender.

- Gamers (except for cloud gaming via Xbox Game Pass).

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

Examples of Devices:

- HP Elite Dragonfly G3 (2023) — 56 Wh, runtime up to 11 hours.

- Dell Latitude 7330 Ultralight — 40 Wh, up to 8 hours.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift — dynamic frequency management.

- Panel Self Refresh — reduces screen power consumption.

Tip: Disable Turbo Boost in power settings to increase battery life by 15-20%.

Comparison with Competitors

AMD Athlon Silver 7120U (2024):

- 2 cores/2 threads, 4W TDP.

- Performance is 12% lower in single-threaded tasks.

Apple M1 (2020):

- 8 cores, 10W TDP.

- Multi-Core Geekbench 6: 7200 points — 5 times faster than the i7-8500Y.

Intel Core i5-1230U (2022):

- 10 cores (2P + 8E), 9W TDP.

- Multi-Core Geekbench 6: 4800 points.

Conclusion: In 2025, the i7-8500Y is relevant only in the segment of devices priced under $600.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Low thermal design power — ideal for tablets and ultrabooks.

- Support for Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 3.

Weaknesses:

- 2 cores — a bottleneck for multitasking.

- Outdated graphics — unsuitable even for light editing.

Laptop Selection Recommendations

Parameters:

- RAM: at least 8 GB LPDDR4.

- Storage: SSD 256 GB (NVMe).

- Display: Full HD resolution, IPS panel.

Examples of 2024-2025 Models:

- Acer Swift 1X — $599, weight 1.1 kg, 14-inch display.

- ASUS ExpertBook B1 — $649, MIL-STD-810G protection.

What to Avoid:

- Devices with HDDs instead of SSDs.

- Laptops with 4GB of RAM — insufficient even for Windows 11.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-8500Y in 2025 is a choice for those who value portability and battery life over power. It is suitable for:

- Travel — when a lightweight device is needed for email and Netflix.

- As a second laptop — for simple tasks on the go.

Key Benefits:

- Price: devices with this CPU cost $500-700.

- Quiet operation — absence of fans.

However, for serious work or gaming, it is better to consider models based on the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U or Apple MacBook Air M2.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

January 2019

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.

i7-8500Y

Code Name

Amber Lake Y

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

1.50 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.

4.20 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.20 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.

Yes

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1515

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

5 W

Max. Operating Temperature

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

100

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.

1x4 | 2x2 | 1x2+2x1 and 4x1

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.

LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

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

16 GB

Memory Channels

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

Bus Speed

4 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

33.3 GB/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 615

Graphics Base Frequency

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

300 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.

1.05 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

16 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.

4096 x 2304@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.

3840 x 2160@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.

3840 x 2160@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

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.

4 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 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 Flex Memory Access

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

891

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1439

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

628

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1165

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1475

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2464

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-6850K

986 +10.7%

Core i3-1000NG4

937 +5.2%

Core i7-8500Y

891

Core i7-6700TE

835 -6.3%

Core i3-7100U

769 -13.7%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i3-6100TE

1735 +20.6%

Core i3-7100U

1577 +9.6%

Core i7-8500Y

1439

Pentium Gold G5400T

1253 -12.9%

A10-5800K

1114 -22.6%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E7-8867 v4

673 +7.2%

Core i5-3360M

651 +3.7%

Core i7-8500Y

628

Xeon E7-8857 v2

606 -3.5%

Xeon E5-2628L v3

583 -7.2%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Celeron G4930T

1350 +15.9%

Celeron J4105

1253 +7.6%

Core i7-8500Y

1165

A12-9800E

1084 -7%

Celeron G1830

1021 -12.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon E5-2630L v3

1534 +4%

Xeon X5675

1494 +1.3%

Core i7-8500Y

1475

Pentium G2030T

1442 -2.2%

PRO A4-8350B

1418 -3.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

A8-6500B

2855 +15.9%

Core i3-3250T

2650 +7.5%

Core i7-8500Y

2464

A8-3870K

2294 -6.9%

Pentium G3450

2167 -12.1%