PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-10500

2020

Why buy it

✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8.3 MB).
✅Costs $183 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $383 MSRP).
✅Delivers 93.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 65.3 vs 33.8 PassMark/$ ($200 MSRP vs $383 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i7-7800X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-7800X

2017

Why buy it

✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,963 vs 13,067).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8.3 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.8 vs 65.3 PassMark/$ ($383 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-10500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-10500

2020

Core i7-7800X

2017

Why buy it

✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8.3 MB).
✅Costs $183 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $383 MSRP).
✅Delivers 93.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 65.3 vs 33.8 PassMark/$ ($200 MSRP vs $383 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i7-7800X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,963 vs 13,067).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8.3 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.8 vs 65.3 PassMark/$ ($383 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-10500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10500 better than Core i7-7800X?

Yes. Core i5-10500 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.8% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-10500 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.4% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10500 is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8.3 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-10500 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10500 is $183 cheaper on MSRP at $200 MSRP versus $383 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 93.0% better value on MSRP (65.3 vs 33.8 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-10500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017), 45.5% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8.3 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i5-10500 Benchmark Check

Core i7-7800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10500	Core i7-7800X
1080p
low	193 FPS	182 FPS
medium	154 FPS	143 FPS
high	125 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	151 FPS
medium	121 FPS	117 FPS
high	99 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	86 FPS	70 FPS
medium	73 FPS	58 FPS
high	58 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10500 Open Core i7-7800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10500	Core i7-7800X
1080p
low	327 FPS	236 FPS
medium	327 FPS	199 FPS
high	323 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	142 FPS
1440p
low	327 FPS	208 FPS
medium	325 FPS	175 FPS
high	296 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	327 FPS	180 FPS
medium	274 FPS	156 FPS
high	251 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	106 FPS

Open Core i5-10500 Open Core i7-7800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10500	Core i7-7800X
1080p
low	327 FPS	324 FPS
medium	327 FPS	324 FPS
high	327 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	327 FPS	324 FPS
1440p
low	327 FPS	324 FPS
medium	327 FPS	324 FPS
high	327 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	327 FPS	324 FPS
4K
low	327 FPS	324 FPS
medium	327 FPS	324 FPS
high	303 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	246 FPS

Open Core i5-10500 Open Core i7-7800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10500	Core i7-7800X
1080p
low	327 FPS	324 FPS
medium	327 FPS	324 FPS
high	327 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	327 FPS	324 FPS
1440p
low	327 FPS	324 FPS
medium	327 FPS	324 FPS
high	327 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	327 FPS	324 FPS
4K
low	327 FPS	324 FPS
medium	327 FPS	324 FPS
high	327 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	327 FPS	324 FPS

Open Core i5-10500 Open Core i7-7800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10500 and Core i7-7800X

Core i5-10500

The Core i5-10500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 13,067 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-7800X

The Core i7-7800X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 12,963 points. Launch price was $383.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10500 and Core i7-7800X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i5-10500 versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-7800X — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-10500 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-10500 uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-7800X uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10500 scores 13,067 against the Core i7-7800X's 12,963 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i5-10500. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10500 vs 8.25 MB (total) on the Core i7-7800X.

Feature	Core i5-10500	Core i7-7800X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+13%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz	3.5 GHz+13%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+45%	8.25 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	13,067	12,963
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	6,897
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,114
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,951

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10500 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-7800X uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10500) vs 4 (Core i7-7800X). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10500) vs 28 (Core i7-7800X) — the Core i7-7800X offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-10500	Core i7-7800X
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	28+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-7800X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10500) vs Yes (Core i7-7800X). The Core i5-10500 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i7-7800X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10500 targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i5-10500	Core i7-7800X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10500 launched at $200 MSRP, while the Core i7-7800X debuted at $383. On MSRP ($200 vs $383), the Core i5-10500 is $183 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10500 delivers 65.3 pts/$ vs 33.8 pts/$ for the Core i7-7800X — making the Core i5-10500 the 63.5% better value option.