Intel Core i5-8600K vs Intel Core i5-8500

Processor comparisons 18-02-2022

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-8600K vs Intel Core i5-8500 and understand which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like Blender, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, WPrime, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, RealBench, 7zip, Blender, SuperPi, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, Gears 5, PassMark, AIDA64.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-8500 or Intel Core i5-8600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8600K

53%

Core i5-8500

52%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-8600K is 1% better than Core i5-8500. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8600K

53%

Core i5-8500

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.9	93.6
Valorant	106.7	106.4
Cyberpunk 2077	59.7	59.6
Apex Legends	100.3	100.0
Call of Duty Warzone	80.0	79.8
Overwatch	86.4	86.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.6	73.4
DOOM Eternal	53.3	53.2
Warzone	83.2	83.0
Assassin's Creed	89.6	89.4
Valheim	88.5	88.3

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 i5-8600K

41%

Core i5-8500

57%

To make a finishing decision 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 i5-8500 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-8600K since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 i5-8600K	Intel Core i5-8500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	183	174
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1040	934
Cinbench 20 Single-core	406	403
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2181	2287
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1318	1052
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7339	5612

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

	Intel Core i5-8600K	Intel Core i5-8500
Single-Core	2600	2461
Multi-Core	10237	9554

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

	Intel Core i5-8600K	Intel Core i5-8500
Single-Core	1191	1114
Multi-Core	5753	5496

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-8600K	Intel Core i5-8500
Announcement date	October 12, 2017	July 07, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1151
Core name	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	8
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	6	6
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	65 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	9 MB	9 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-8600K is 16% better than Core i5-8500 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 i5-8600K is better: 22
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8500 is better: 3
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-8600K and Intel Core i5-8500 before making a decision which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-8600K - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8600K specs and review.

Intel Core i5-8500 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8500 specs and review.