Core i5-8500 vs Ryzen 3 5300U

Core i5-8500 vs Ryzen 3 5300U Performance Spectrum

Core i5-8500

6 / 6

9,521

+0.7%

9,453

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

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.

Core i5-8500 vs Ryzen 3 5300U 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 i5-8500 vs Ryzen 3 5300U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-8500

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅+125% larger total L3 cache (9 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 5300U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $192 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 5300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 3 5300U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 3 5300U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 6, while Core i5-8500 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (9,453 vs 9,521).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 9 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 5300U better than Core i5-8500?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Ryzen 3 5300U is ahead with a 11.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8500 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Core i5-8500 also has the bigger cache pool with 125% larger total L3 cache (9 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8500 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 6 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 125% larger total L3 cache (9 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Ryzen 3 5300U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Ryzen 3 5300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $192 MSRP, and it still gives you a 11.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-8500 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (49.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 3 5300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Core i5-8500 vs Ryzen 3 5300U Technical Specifications

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

Core i5-8500

The Core i5-8500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 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: 9,521 points. Launch price was $202.

Ryzen 3 5300U

The Ryzen 3 5300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,453 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-8500 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Ryzen 3 5300U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-8500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-8500 versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen 3 5300U — a 7.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-8500 (base: 3 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-8500 uses the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8500 scores 9,521 against the Ryzen 3 5300U's 9,453 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i5-8500. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8500 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 5300U.

Feature	Core i5-8500	Ryzen 3 5300U
Cores / Threads	6 / 6+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+8%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+15%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	9 MB (total)+125%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)	Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021)
PassMark	9,521	9,453
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	5,522
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,457
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,526

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8500 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-8500	Ryzen 3 5300U
Socket	LGA1151	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	12

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-8500) / Yes (Ryzen 3 5300U). The Ryzen 3 5300U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 6), while the Core i5-8500 requires a dedicated GPU.