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 i5-8500T

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $208 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 111.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.3 vs 19.1 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-8705G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i7-8705G

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,633 vs 7,730).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 19.1 vs 40.3 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-8500T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-8500T.

Core i5-8500T

2018

Core i7-8705G

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $208 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 111.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.3 vs 19.1 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-8705G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,633 vs 7,730).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 19.1 vs 40.3 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-8500T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-8500T.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-8500T better than Core i7-8705G?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-8705G is ahead with a 20.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8500T pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8500T is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 6 threads.

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

Core i5-8500T is the smarter buy today. Core i5-8500T is $208 cheaper on MSRP at $192 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you 1.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-8705G is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 20.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 111.0% better value on MSRP (40.3 vs 19.1 PassMark/$), 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 i7-8705G is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 i5-8500T Benchmark Check

Core i7-8705G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-8500T	Core i7-8705G
1080p
low	171 FPS	188 FPS
medium	139 FPS	149 FPS
high	111 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	151 FPS
medium	118 FPS	118 FPS
high	93 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	71 FPS
medium	60 FPS	59 FPS
high	47 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-8500T Open Core i7-8705G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-8500T	Core i7-8705G
1080p
low	120 FPS	191 FPS
medium	105 FPS	191 FPS
high	99 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	106 FPS	191 FPS
medium	92 FPS	191 FPS
high	87 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	169 FPS
4K
low	90 FPS	191 FPS
medium	81 FPS	176 FPS
high	72 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	121 FPS

Open Core i5-8500T Open Core i7-8705G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-8500T	Core i7-8705G
1080p
low	193 FPS	191 FPS
medium	193 FPS	191 FPS
high	193 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	193 FPS	191 FPS
medium	193 FPS	191 FPS
high	193 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	191 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	191 FPS
medium	193 FPS	191 FPS
high	183 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	191 FPS

Open Core i5-8500T Open Core i7-8705G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-8500T	Core i7-8705G
1080p
low	193 FPS	191 FPS
medium	193 FPS	191 FPS
high	193 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	193 FPS	191 FPS
medium	193 FPS	191 FPS
high	193 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	191 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	191 FPS
medium	193 FPS	191 FPS
high	193 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	191 FPS

Open Core i5-8500T Open Core i7-8705G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8500T and Core i7-8705G

Core i5-8500T

The Core i5-8500T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,730 points. Launch price was $192.

Core i7-8705G

The Core i7-8705G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake G (2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2270. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,633 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-8500T packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Core i7-8705G offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-8500T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-8500T versus 4.1 GHz on the Core i7-8705G — a 15.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-8705G (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i5-8500T uses the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-8705G uses Kaby Lake G (2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8500T scores 7,730 against the Core i7-8705G's 7,633 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i5-8500T. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8500T vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-8705G.

Feature	Core i5-8500T	Core i7-8705G
Cores / Threads	6 / 6+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4.1 GHz+17%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.1 GHz+48%
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-S (2017−2018)	Kaby Lake G (2018)
PassMark	7,730+1%	7,633
Geekbench 6 Single	1,192	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8500T uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-8705G uses FCBGA2270 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-8500T	Core i7-8705G
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA2270
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-8500T) / not specified (Core i7-8705G). The Core i5-8500T includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i7-8705G requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8500T targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-8500T rivals Ryzen 3 2200G.

Feature	Core i5-8500T	Core i7-8705G
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Low Power Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-8500T launched at $192 MSRP, while the Core i7-8705G debuted at $400. On MSRP ($192 vs $400), the Core i5-8500T is $208 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-8500T delivers 40.3 pts/$ vs 19.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-8705G — making the Core i5-8500T the 71.4% better value option.