Core i5-8400 vs Pentium Gold 8505

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.

Core i5-8400 vs Pentium Gold 8505 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i5-8400 vs Pentium Gold 8505: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-8400

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $182 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 8505 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Pentium Gold 8505 moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Pentium Gold 8505

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (9,167 vs 9,229).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold 8505 better than Core i5-8400?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium Gold 8505 is ahead with a 2.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8400 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8400 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 6 threads.

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

Pentium Gold 8505 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium Gold 8505 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $182 MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-8400 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (50.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Pentium Gold 8505 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core i5-8400 vs Pentium Gold 8505 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i5-8400

The Core i5-8400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,229 points. Launch price was $182.

Pentium Gold 8505

The Pentium Gold 8505 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Max frequency: 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200, LPDDR5-5200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 9,167 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-8400 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Pentium Gold 8505 offers 5 cores / 6 threads — the Core i5-8400 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i5-8400 versus 4.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 8505 — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold 8505. The Core i5-8400 is built on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-8400 scores 9,229 against the Pentium Gold 8505's 9,167 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i5-8400. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8400 vs 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Pentium Gold 8505.

Feature	Core i5-8400	Pentium Gold 8505
Cores / Threads	6 / 6+20%	5 / 6
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.4 GHz+10%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	—
L3 Cache	9 MB (total)+13%	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)	—
PassMark	9,229	9,167
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,550
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	4,055

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8400 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold 8505 uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-8400 versus DDR5-4800 on the Pentium Gold 8505 — the Pentium Gold 8505 supports 80% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-8400 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-8400) vs 20 (Pentium Gold 8505) — the Pentium Gold 8505 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i5-8400) and SoC (Pentium Gold 8505).

Feature	Core i5-8400	Pentium Gold 8505
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-4800+80%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-8400) vs Yes (Pentium Gold 8505). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i5-8400) and UHD Graphics (Pentium Gold 8505) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8400 targets Desktop.