Intel Core i5-10500 vs Intel Core i7-8700K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i5-10500 vs Intel Core i7-8700K and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, video editing, programming, machine learning. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, PassMark, WPrime, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, MATLAB, 7zip, Furmark, RealBench, Blender, Gears 5, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Rainbow Six Siege
Halo Infinite
Valorant
Apex Legends
Valheim
Cyberpunk 2077
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Fallout 76
Red Dead Redemption 2
Death Stranding
Watch Dogs Legion
Grand Theft Auto V
Last Man Standing
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Fortnite
Borderlands 3
DOOM: Eternal
Overwatch

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700K or Intel Core i5-10500.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-10500

54%

Core i7-8700K

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-10500

54%

Core i7-8700K

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.4	95.7
Valorant	108.4	108.7
Cyberpunk 2077	60.7	60.9
Apex Legends	101.9	102.2
Call of Duty Warzone	81.3	81.6
Overwatch	87.8	88.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.8	75.0
DOOM Eternal	54.2	54.4
Warzone	84.5	84.8
Assassin's Creed	91.0	91.3
Valheim	90.0	90.3

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-10500

61%

Core i7-8700K

49%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-10500 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-8700K since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-10500	Intel Core i7-8700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	201	208
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1491	1447
Cinbench 20 Single-core	467	487
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3392	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1082	1209
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	8209	8960

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-10500	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	2743	2760
Multi-Core	13414	13949

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-10500	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	1196	1402
Multi-Core	7233	7536

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-10500	Intel Core i7-8700K
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Comet Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	8
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	4800 millions	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	12 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-8700K is 16% better than Core i5-10500 in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10500 is better: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700K is better: 22
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-10500 and Intel Core i7-8700K before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-10500 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8700K specs and review.