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 7 2700 is an 8 core, 16 thread high-end desktop processor featuring AMD’s second generation 12nm Zen+ architecture and Precision Boost 2 technology. It is the second strongest of four new Ryzen CPUs due for imminent release. The second generation Ryzen processors, codenamed Pinnacle Ridge, are both compatible with the new 400 series and 300 series of motherboards. Official specs for the 2700 are yet to be seen, but early benchmarks appear to indicate base and boost clock speeds of 3.2 and 4.1 GHz respectively. This translates to a modest improvement upon the previous generation 1700 which continues to offer fantastic value for money in terms of multi-core performance. The expected retail price of $299 includes a Wraith cooler and costs the same as Intel’s 6 core 12 thread i7-8700. As expected, the 8700 beats the 2700 on single and quad core intensive tasks, but lags slightly for higher core workloads. Even though the 2700 excels at pure multimedia production streamers should look elsewhere. Streaming with dedicated hardware such as NVENC or a separate stream PC will nearly always result in fewer dropped frames.
[Apr '18CPUPro]
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.