Intel Core i5-7500 vs Intel Core i7-2600

Processor comparisons 04-02-2023

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-7500 vs Intel Core i7-2600 and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, machine learning, rendering, video editing. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Gears 5, AIDA64, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, 7zip, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, SuperPi, Blender, PCMark 10, Prime95.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-2600 or Intel Core i5-7500.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-7500

51%

Core i7-2600

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-7500

52%

Core i7-2600

51%

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 play 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, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, Control, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.7	91.3
Valorant	104.2	103.7
Cyberpunk 2077	58.3	58.1
Apex Legends	97.9	97.5
Call of Duty Warzone	78.1	77.8
Overwatch	84.4	84.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.9	71.6
DOOM Eternal	52.1	51.9
Warzone	81.3	80.9
Assassin's Creed	87.5	87.1
Valheim	86.5	86.1

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-7500

51%

Core i7-2600

29%

To make a final resolution 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 i5-7500 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-2600 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. 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 video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	Intel Core i5-7500	Intel Core i7-2600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	162	124
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	617	568
Cinbench 20 Single-core	396	257
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1122	1824
Cinbench 23 Single-core	599	759
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	1655	3647

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

	Intel Core i5-7500	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	2258	1751
Multi-Core	6109	5341

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

	Intel Core i5-7500	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	1013	844
Multi-Core	3606	3227

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-7500	Intel Core i7-2600
Announcement date	March 25, 2017	October 01, 2010
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	LGA1155
Core name	Kaby Lake	Sandy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7
Turbo Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.8 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR3 1066/1333
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		21 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. 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 i5-7500 is better: 24
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-2600 is better: 7
However, it should be realized 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 numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-7500 and Intel Core i7-2600 before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-7500 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-7500 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-2600 specs and review.

Intel Core i5-7500 Processor Comparisons
• Vs Core i3-9100F
• Vs Core i7-4790K
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400GE
• Vs Core i7-4770
• Vs Ryzen 5 2500X
• Vs Core i7-6700
• Vs Ryzen 3 3200GE
• Vs Core i7-3770
• Vs Core i3-9100
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE
• Vs Core i7-4790
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400G
• Vs Core i5-7400
• Vs Ryzen 5 2400G
• Vs Core i3-9350KF
• Vs Ryzen 3 1200
• Vs Ryzen 3 2200G
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150G
• Vs Ryzen 5 3350G
• Vs Core i5-6500
• Vs Core i3-9300
• Vs Core i7-7700
• Vs Core i5-4690K
• Vs Core i3-8300
• Vs Core i5-4590
• Vs Core i5-4570
• Vs Core i5-9400
• Vs FX-8350 Eight-Core
• Vs Core i7-9700KF
• Vs Core i5-3470
• Vs Core i7-6700K
• Vs Ryzen 5 1600
• Vs Ryzen 7 1700
• Vs Core i5-12500
• Vs Core i7-10700
• Vs Core i3-10105F
• Vs Core i5-11600K
• Vs Core i5-12400
• Vs Core i3-12300
• Vs Core i3-13100F
• Vs Ryzen 3 3200G
• Vs Core i5-10600K
• Vs Core i5-10400F
• Vs Core i9-9900K
• Vs Core i5-9600KF
• Vs Core i5-11400
• Vs Core i9-10850K
• Vs Core i5-8600K
• Vs Core i5-11400F
• Vs Core i3-12100
• Vs Ryzen 3 3100
• Vs Core i7-8700K
• Vs Core i7-10700K
• Vs Core i5-10600KF
• Vs Core i5-10400
• Vs Core i3-10100F
• Vs Core i7-9700K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2600
• Vs Core i3-12100F
• Vs Core i3-13100
• Vs Core i5-8400
• Vs Core i5-9600K
• Vs Core i7-10700KF
• Vs Core i9-10900KF
• Vs Ryzen 5 2600X
• Vs Core i3-10100
• Vs Core i7-8700
• Vs Ryzen 5 5600G
• Vs Ryzen 5 5600X
• Vs Core i5-12400F
• Vs Ryzen 5 3600
• Vs Core i9-10900F
• Vs Ryzen 7 2700X
• Vs Ryzen 5 3600X
• Vs Core i9-10900K
• Vs Ryzen 5 5500
• Vs Core i5-12600
• Vs Core i5-8500
• Vs Core i5-9500
• Vs Core i3-8100
• Vs Core i5-6600K
• Vs Ryzen 3 5300GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4355G

Intel Core i7-2600 Processor Comparisons
• Vs Core i5-6500
• Vs FX-8350 Eight-Core
• Vs Core i5-8250U
• Vs Core i7-3770
• Vs Core i7-6700HQ
• Vs Core i5-10210U
• Vs Core i7-7700HQ
• Vs Core i7-4770
• Vs Core i7-10510U
• Vs Core i7-4790
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500U
• Vs Core i5-9300H
• Vs Core i7-6700
• Vs Core i7-4790K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2400G
• Vs Core i7-1065G7
• Vs Core i7-6700K
• Vs Core i5-8400
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400G
• Vs Core i5-9400F
• Vs Core i7-7700K
• Vs Core i7-8750H
• Vs Core i7-1165G7
• Vs Core i5-3470
• Vs Core i5-4590
• Vs Core i7-8550U
• Vs Core i5-1035G1
• Vs Core i5-4570
• Vs Core i5-2400
• Vs Core i5-4460
• Vs Core i5-7200U
• Vs Core i5-10300H
• Vs Core i7-7700
• Vs Core i5-1135G7
• Vs Core i5-8265U
• Vs Core i3-10100
• Vs Ryzen 3 3200G
• Vs Core i5-6200U
• Vs Core i5-8300H
• Vs FX-6300 Six-Core
• Vs Core i5-7400
• Vs Core i7-4770K
• Vs Core i5-7300HQ
• Vs Core i5-6300U
• Vs Core i3-9100F
• Vs Core i7-7500U
• Vs Core i5-3570K
• Vs Core i5-6400
• Vs Core i7-3630QM
• Vs Core i7-8565U
• Vs Core i3-1005G1
• Vs Core i7-3770K
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550H
• Vs Celeron G5920
• Vs Pentium Gold 7505
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150G
• Vs Pentium Gold G6500
• Vs Core i3-9100TE
• Vs Ryzen 5 3450U
• Vs Athlon Silver 3050e
• Vs Core i3-1115G4
• Vs Celeron G5905
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE
• Vs Core i3-9350K
• Vs Celeron G5900
• Vs Ryzen Embedded R1305G
• Vs Core i5-9300HF
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550U
• Vs Pentium Gold G6605
• Vs Pentium Gold G6505T
• Vs Pentium Gold G6505
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405U
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405T
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405
• Vs Core i3-1110G4
• Vs Core i3-1115GRE
• Vs Core i3-1120G4
• Vs Core i3-1115G4E
• Vs Athlon Silver 3050GE
• Vs Athlon 300GE
• Vs Athlon 320GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 3250C
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500C
• Vs Ryzen 3 3350U
• Vs Athlon PRO 200U
• Vs Athlon PRO 300U
• Vs Core i5-1030NG7
• Vs Core i5-4470S
• Vs Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE
• Vs Pentium Silver J5040
• Vs Pentium Silver N6005
• Vs Pentium Silver N6000
• Vs Pentium N6415
• Vs Athlon Gold 3150U
• Vs Core i7-10610U
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400E
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400TE
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400T
• Vs Core i7-10510Y
• Vs Core i5-10310U
• Vs Core i5-7442EQ
• Vs Core i7-8565UC
• Vs Core i3-8145UE
• Vs Core i3-1000NG4
• Vs Core i7-1060NG7
• Vs Core i5-10210Y
• Vs Core i5-8265UC
• Vs Core i5-8365UE
• Vs Core i3-9100T
• Vs Core i3-8300
• Vs Core i5-6442EQ
• Vs Core i7-8665U
• Vs Core i5-8365U
• Vs Core i3-9300T
• Vs Core i5-4670R
• Vs Core i3-8100T
• Vs Core i3-8300T
• Vs Core i3-8109U
• Vs Core i3-8121U
• Vs Core i3-7350K
• Vs Core i5-4690K
• Vs Core i3-8100
• Vs Core i5-6600K
• Vs Core i3-6100
• Vs Ryzen 3 5300GE