Pentium Gold 8505 vs Core i5-8400
Pentium Gold 8505
Core i5-8400
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 Pentium Gold 8505 is positioned at rank 471 and the Core i5-8400 is on rank 421, so the Core i5-8400 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium Gold 8505
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-8400
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium Gold 8505 | Core i5-8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($95) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Legacy / Intel 7 nm) | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium Gold 8505 | Core i5-8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($95) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Gold 8505 and Core i5-8400
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.
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.
Processing Power
The Pentium Gold 8505 packs 5 cores / 6 threads, while the Core i5-8400 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Core i5-8400 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 8505 versus 4 GHz on the Core i5-8400 — 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 Pentium Gold 8505 scores 9,167 against the Core i5-8400's 9,229 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i5-8400. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Pentium Gold 8505 vs 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8400.
| Feature | Pentium Gold 8505 | Core i5-8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 5 / 6 | 6 / 6+20% |
| Boost Clock | 4.4 GHz+10% | 4 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 2.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache | 9 MB (total)+13% |
| L2 Cache | — | 256K (per core) |
| Process | Intel 7 nm-50% | 14 nm |
| Architecture | — | Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) |
| PassMark | 9,167 | 9,229 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,550 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 4,055 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium Gold 8505 uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i5-8400 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800 on the Pentium Gold 8505 versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-8400 — the Pentium Gold 8505 supports 22.2% 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 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Pentium Gold 8505) vs 16 (Core i5-8400) — the Pentium Gold 8505 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Pentium Gold 8505) and Intel 300 series (Core i5-8400).
| Feature | Pentium Gold 8505 | Core i5-8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1744 | LGA1151 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 4.0+33% | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR5-4800+25% | DDR4-2666 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 128 GB+100% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 20+25% | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization support: Yes (Pentium Gold 8505) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-8400). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics (Pentium Gold 8505) and UHD Graphics 630 (Core i5-8400) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8400 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Pentium Gold 8505 | Core i5-8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | UHD Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | Yes | VT-x, VT-d |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
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