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 i5-8500B

2018

Why buy it

✅+3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $272 MSRP).
✅Delivers 45.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 46.4 vs 31.8 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $272 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-7700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-7700.

Core i7-7700

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Core i5-8500B.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,642 vs 8,900).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.8 vs 46.4 PassMark/$ ($272 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).

Core i5-8500B

2018

Core i7-7700

2017

Why buy it

✅+3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $272 MSRP).
✅Delivers 45.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 46.4 vs 31.8 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $272 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Core i5-8500B.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-7700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-7700.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,642 vs 8,900).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.8 vs 46.4 PassMark/$ ($272 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-8500B better than Core i7-7700?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-7700 is ahead with a 17.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8500B pulls ahead with 3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8500B is the better fit. You are getting 3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 6 threads.

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

Core i5-8500B is the smarter buy today. Core i5-8500B is $80 cheaper on MSRP at $192 MSRP versus $272 MSRP, and it gives you 3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-7700 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 17.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 45.9% better value on MSRP (46.4 vs 31.8 PassMark/$), 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 i5-8500B is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 6 threads instead of 4/8. 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 i5-8500B Benchmark Check

Core i7-7700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-8500B	Core i7-7700
1080p
low	179 FPS	216 FPS
medium	144 FPS	171 FPS
high	115 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	176 FPS
medium	122 FPS	136 FPS
high	96 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	74 FPS
medium	61 FPS	61 FPS
high	48 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-8500B Open Core i7-7700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-8500B	Core i7-7700
1080p
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	222 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	214 FPS	197 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	218 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	194 FPS	175 FPS
4K
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	208 FPS	185 FPS
high	188 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	129 FPS

Open Core i5-8500B Open Core i7-7700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-8500B	Core i7-7700
1080p
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	222 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	222 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	192 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	152 FPS	216 FPS

Open Core i5-8500B Open Core i7-7700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-8500B	Core i7-7700
1080p
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	222 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	222 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	222 FPS	216 FPS
medium	222 FPS	216 FPS
high	222 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	216 FPS

Open Core i5-8500B Open Core i7-7700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8500B and Core i7-7700

Core i5-8500B

The Core i5-8500B is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) 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: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 8,900 points. Launch price was $192.

Core i7-7700

The Core i7-7700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 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: 8,642 points. Launch price was $303.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-8500B packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Core i7-7700 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-8500B has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-8500B versus 4.2 GHz on the Core i7-7700 — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-7700 (base: 3 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-8500B uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-7700 uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8500B scores 8,900 against the Core i7-7700's 8,642 — a 2.9% lead for the Core i5-8500B. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8500B vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-7700.

Feature	Core i5-8500B	Core i7-7700
Cores / Threads	6 / 6+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.2 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3 GHz	3.6 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	9 MB (total)+13%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	8,900+3%	8,642
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	1,435
Geekbench 6 Single	1,364	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8500B uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-7700 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H310,B360,H370,Z370,Q370 (Core i5-8500B) and 100-series,200-series (Core i7-7700).

Feature	Core i5-8500B	Core i7-7700
Socket	BGA1440	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i5-8500B) and HD Graphics 630 (Core i7-7700) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8500B targets Mini PC/Embedded, Core i7-7700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-8500B rivals Ryzen 5 2600; Core i7-7700 rivals Ryzen 5 1600.

Feature	Core i5-8500B	Core i7-7700
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	HD Graphics 630
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Mini PC/Embedded	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-8500B launched at $192 MSRP, while the Core i7-7700 debuted at $272. On MSRP ($192 vs $272), the Core i5-8500B is $80 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-8500B delivers 46.4 pts/$ vs 31.8 pts/$ for the Core i7-7700 — making the Core i5-8500B the 37.3% better value option.