Quick Verdict
A solid hexa-core processor that offers slightly higher out-of-the-box clocks than the 8400, making it a great choice for budget gaming and office builds.
Overview
Launch
Feb 14th, 2018
Status
End-of-lifeGeneration
Core i5 (Coffee Lake)
Market
Desktop
The Intel Core i5-8500 is a refined mainstream desktop processor that sits comfortably in the middle of the 8th Generation Coffee Lake i5 stack, offering a slight bump in clock speeds over the popular i5-8400.
The Core i5-8500 delivers 6 physical cores operating up to 4.1 GHz, paired with UHD Graphics 630. It provides a modest performance bump over the i5-8400, offering enough single-core speed for modern games and daily tasks.
Specifications
Performance
Handles office tasks and moderate programming workloads efficiently.
Good for basic VMs, but 6 threads limit heavy parallel virtualization.
Capable of smooth 1080p gaming when paired with a mid-range discrete GPU.
Balanced performance within a standard 65W power envelope.
- •Excellent for budget gaming builds
- •Handles eSports titles flawlessly
- •May bottleneck high-end modern GPUs at 1080p
- •No AI-specific hardware
- •CPU inference is slow due to lack of threads
Architecture
14 nm
Process Node
Coffee Lake
Codename
6C / 6T
Core Config
9 MB
L3 Cache
65 W
TDP
Architecture Overview
Under the hood, the Core i5-8500 shares the exact same Coffee Lake 14nm architecture as the rest of the 8th Gen i5 family. The design focuses on a 6-core layout without Hyper-Threading, connected via a ring bus to the 9MB L3 SmartCache. This layout optimizes latency for gaming workloads, where single-threaded speed and core count often matter more than multi-threading. The processor provides 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes for discrete devices, ensuring a direct, high-bandwidth connection for a dedicated GPU and primary NVMe storage. Memory support is officially rated for dual-channel DDR4-2666. The integrated UHD Graphics 630 features 24 Execution Units, capable of driving multi-monitor setups and hardware video decoding. Despite its standard 65W power envelope, the processor retains comprehensive instruction set support, including AVX2, AES-NI, and VT-x, ensuring robust virtualization and cryptographic capabilities.
CPU Design
6 cores, 6 threads (no Hyper-Threading).
Memory Subsystem
Dual-channel DDR4-2666.
PCIe & I/O
16 PCIe 3.0 lanes.
Overclocking
Locked multiplier.
- Two additional physical cores
- Higher base and turbo frequencies
Key Highlights
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio historically
- Strong single-core speeds for gaming
- Includes integrated UHD Graphics 630
- Standard 65W TDP is easy to cool
- Wide compatibility with 300-series motherboards
- No Hyper-Threading (only 6 threads)
- Locked multiplier prevents overclocking
- End-of-life platform (LGA 1151)
- Officially limited to DDR4-2666
- Not supported by Windows 11 officially
History
Introduced on February 14th, 2018, the Core i5-8500 was part of Intel's secondary wave of Coffee Lake releases aimed at fleshing out the mainstream desktop stack. Following the massive success of the i5-8400, Intel released the 8500 to capture a slightly higher price tier, offering users a factory-tuned frequency bump. This release occurred while AMD was aggressively expanding its Ryzen lineup, making every 100 MHz of clock speed a marketing tool.
The 8500 quickly found a home in business-class pre-built systems and DIY builds where users wanted a touch more performance without stepping up to the unlocked i5-8600K. It represented Intel's strategy of saturating the market with highly specific SKUs to cater to every price point. The chip solidified the 6-core standard in the mainstream market, ensuring that even mid-tier office and family PCs had the processing headroom for modern multi-threaded applications.
Improvements over Previous Generation
- Two additional physical cores
- Higher base and turbo frequencies
Alternatives & Competitors
Should You Buy It?
Recommended for the right buyer
Upgrading an older LGA 1151 system on a budget, or building an office/HTPC machine.
Avoid if…
- Building a new PC from scratch (newer platforms offer better value)
- Doing heavy 3D rendering or video editing
- Requiring high-refresh-rate gaming with top-tier GPUs
Use Cases
Interesting Facts
The i5-8500 was released a few months after the initial Coffee Lake launch to flesh out the stack.
It features a max turbo boost of 4.1 GHz on single-core workloads.
Includes Intel UHD Graphics 630, allowing it to function without a dedicated GPU.
Uses the FC-LGA1151 package and part number SR3XE.
Shares the exact same die as the i5-8400 but with slightly higher clocks.
Officially supports DDR4-2666 memory in dual-channel mode.
The 8th Gen i5 lineup permanently moved Intel's mainstream i5 tier to 6 cores.
Features 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes for direct GPU and NVMe connectivity.
Has a base clock of 3.0 GHz and a 100 MHz base bus speed.
Can run Windows 11 despite lacking official support.
People Also Ask
Is the Intel Core i5-8500 good for gaming?
Yes, it is still capable for 1080p budget gaming when paired with a mid-range GPU.
Does the i5-8500 have Hyper-Threading?
No, it has 6 physical cores but only 6 threads, meaning no Hyper-Threading.
Can you overclock the i5-8500?
No, the multiplier is locked. Only BCLK overclocking is possible on certain motherboards, which is not recommended.
What is the max turbo frequency of the i5-8500?
The maximum turbo frequency is 4.1 GHz.
Does the i5-8500 have integrated graphics?
Yes, it includes the Intel UHD Graphics 630.
What socket does the i5-8500 use?
It uses the Intel Socket 1151 (LGA 1151).
What RAM speed does the i5-8500 support?
It officially supports DDR4-2666 memory in dual-channel mode.
Does the i5-8500 support Windows 11?
Officially no, but it can run Windows 11 via registry workarounds.
What is the TDP of the i5-8500?
The standard TDP is 65 Watts.
Does the i5-8500 come with a cooler?
Yes, retail boxed versions include a standard Intel stock cooler (E97379-001).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between i5-8400 and i5-8500?
The i5-8500 has a 200 MHz higher base clock (3.0 GHz vs 2.8 GHz) and a 100 MHz higher turbo (4.1 GHz vs 4.0 GHz).
Can the i5-8500 run 4K video?
Yes, it can decode and play 4K video smoothly using the integrated UHD Graphics 630.
What motherboards support the i5-8500?
It is compatible with Intel 300-series chipset motherboards (Z390, B360, H310, etc.).
Does the i5-8500 support PCIe 4.0?
No, it only supports PCIe 3.0.
What is the cache size of the i5-8500?
It has a 9 MB L3 SmartCache.
Is the i5-8500 good for streaming?
It can handle basic streaming, but the lack of threads may cause stuttering in CPU-heavy games.
What is the base clock of the i5-8500?
The base clock is 3.0 GHz.
Can the i5-8500 run AutoCAD?
Yes, it is perfectly capable of running 2D AutoCAD and moderate 3D modeling.
Does the i5-8500 support ECC memory?
No, the i5-8500 does not support Error-Correcting Code (ECC) memory.
What is the part number for the i5-8500?
The part number is SR3XE.