Core i5-2500T vs Pentium 8500

Core i5-2500T

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Pentium 8500

5 Cores6 Thrd9 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-2500T

4 / 4

2,929

+1.0%

2,900

0.0%

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i5-2500T is positioned at rank 882 and the Pentium 8500 is on rank 991, so the Core i5-2500T offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-2500T

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19373%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18306%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13291%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4004%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3172%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2775%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1589%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1568%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1428%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1428%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1412%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1374%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1355%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1349%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1337%

#882

Core i5-2500T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $30

100%

#884

Athlon II X2 265

MSRP: $83|Avg: $15

99%

#885

Core i3-2100

MSRP: $117|Avg: $10

99%

#886

A8-3800

MSRP: $130|Avg: $40

98%

#887

Pentium E5200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#888

Athlon II X2 235e

MSRP: $69|Avg: $15

97%

#889

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

97%

#890

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

97%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

97%

#892

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

97%

#893

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

97%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

96%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

96%

#897

Athlon II X2 270u

MSRP: $68|Avg: $10

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 8500

#979

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2023%

#980

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1994%

#981

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1830%

#982

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1822%

#983

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1805%

#985

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1743%

#986

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1672%

#987

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1669%

#988

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1624%

#991

Pentium 8500

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

100%

#992

A6-8500P

MSRP: $100|Avg: $16

100%

#994

Core i7-4700EQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $180

99%

#995

Core i3-8145UE

MSRP: $281|Avg: $50

99%

#996

Core i7-4712MQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $60

97%

#997

Core i7-3615QE

MSRP: $400|Avg: $100

97%

#998

Celeron M U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

97%

#999

3015Ce

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

96%

#1000

Core i7-4700MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

96%

#1001

Athlon II M340

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

96%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium 8500 (2022) utilizes Intel 7 nm technology and DDR4, DDR5, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i5-2500T	Pentium 8500
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($30)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-U (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-2500T (2011) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i5-2500T	Pentium 8500
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+573%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($30)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)

Performance Check

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 i5-2500T Benchmark Check

Pentium 8500 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2500T and Pentium 8500

Core i5-2500T

The Core i5-2500T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,929 points. Launch price was $69.

Pentium 8500

The Pentium 8500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Alder Lake-U (2022) architecture. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1781. Thermal design power (TDP): 9 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 2,900 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2500T packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium 8500 offers 5 cores / 6 threads — the Pentium 8500 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-2500T versus 4.4 GHz on the Pentium 8500 — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Pentium 8500 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 1 GHz). The Core i5-2500T uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium 8500 uses Alder Lake-U (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2500T scores 2,929 against the Pentium 8500's 2,900 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-2500T. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2500T vs 8 MB (total) on the Pentium 8500.

Feature	Core i5-2500T	Pentium 8500
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	5 / 6+25%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	4.4 GHz+33%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz+130%	1 GHz
L3 Cache	6144 kB (total)	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	32 nm	Intel 7 nm-78%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Alder Lake-U (2022)
PassMark	2,929+1%	2,900
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,250
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,100

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2500T uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 8500 uses FCBGA1781 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2500T versus LPDDR5-5200 on the Pentium 8500 — the Pentium 8500 supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Pentium 8500 supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-2500T) vs 14 (Pentium 8500) — the Core i5-2500T offers 2 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-2500T	Pentium 8500
Socket	LGA1155	FCBGA1781
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 5.0+150%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	LPDDR5-5200+67%
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	64 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16+14%	14

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-2500T) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Pentium 8500). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2500T) and Intel UHD Graphics (48 EU) (Pentium 8500) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2500T targets Desktop, Pentium 8500 targets Entry Level Laptop.

Feature	Core i5-2500T	Pentium 8500
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 2000	Intel UHD Graphics (48 EU)
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Entry Level Laptop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-2500T launched at $182 MSRP, while the Pentium 8500 debuted at $200. At current prices ($30 vs $200), the Core i5-2500T is $170 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-2500T delivers 97.6 pts/$ vs 14.5 pts/$ for the Pentium 8500 — making the Core i5-2500T the 148.3% better value option.