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 1600 is one of four new Ryzen 5 processors released this month. Based on the AMD Zen architecture, which is comparable to Intel in terms of IPC, the Ryzen 5 1600 has six cores which is more than the vast majority of games are able to use (most games cannot use more than four cores). Ryzen 5 CPUs offer gamers better value for money than the eight core Ryzen 7 models released last month. With six cores the 1600 is approximately 75% better at multi-threaded tasks than Intel's quad core i5 flagship – the similarly priced i5-7600K, the 1600 however, has 25% lower single and 33% lower quad core scores. The 1600 has stock base/boost clock speeds of 3.2/3.6 GHz and its price tag of $219 includes a cooler. Assuming a modest overclock of 10% brings the 1600 within striking range of the 1600X which is the Ryzen 5 flagship. The 1600X sports stock base/boost clocks of 3.6/4.0 GHz but costs $30 more than the 1600 and ships without a cooler included in the box. The Ryzen 5 1600 is the best value for money six core CPU we have seen to date. [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.