The hex-core i5-8500 hails from Intel’s eighth generation of Coffee Lake processors, known for featuring a higher number of cores at each SKU than in previous generations and their refinement of the 14nm architecture as seen in 6th and 7th generation processors. At an estimated price of $184 it offers good multi-core value for money. Its quad core performance nearly rivals the more expensive i7-7700K (the 2017 CPU of choice for many top-end gamers). However based on preliminary benchmarks, the i5-8500 is only marginally faster (2% greater effective speed) than the i5-8400 which is also a recent and competitively priced hex-core Coffee Lake processor. Also, like the i5-8400, the 8500 features 9MB of L3 cache and a frugal TDP of 65W, leaving not much to choose between them. As is the case of all Coffee Lake processors, currently the only motherboards that the 8500 can be paired with feature Intel’s high-end Z370 chipset for overclocking. However, alternative and more suitable 300 series motherboards are long overdue and expected to be available soon. [Mar '18CPUPro]
The Ryzen 5 1400 is the entry-level chip from AMD's latest Ryzen 5 series which is aimed at the mainstream market. The 1400 is a budget quad core, 8 threaded CPU with base/boost clocks of 3.2/3.4 GHz. Like most the other non-X Ryzen CPUs the 1400 comes with a decent cooler included in the box (Wraith Stealth in this case). Modestly priced at $169 the 1400 is in direct competition with Intel's recent Kaby Lake dual core, four threaded i3-7350k which runs at a base clock of 4.2GHz. The 1400's 8 threads allow a near 40% lead in multi-core processing, but for single-core tasks the 7350K is 45% faster. The Ryzen 5 1500X commands a $20 premium and offers a 25% increase in effective speed over the 1400. Although the 1400 only has a base clock of 3.2 GHz it should more or less match the 1500X when overclocked. Provided it is overclocked, the 1400 joins the other non-X Ryzen models in offering the best bang for your buck. Users not keen on overclocking would probably do better to consider the 1500X at this price point. [Apr '17CPUPro]
We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]
Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.