Intel Core i3-10105T vs Intel Core i5-8500T Comparison

The Intel Core i5-8500T and the Intel Core i3-10105T are both low-power desktop processors, but they represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The i5-8500T offers six physical cores without hyperthreading, while the i3-10105T provides four cores with eight threads. Both are locked at a 35 W TDP, but their benchmark results reveal a fascinating split between synthetic rendering tests and general system performance metrics. The data shows that the newer i3-10105T narrowly dominates most compute workloads, yet the older i5-8500T secures a substantial victory in one key multi-threaded test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results present a starkly one-sided picture in favor of the Intel Core i3-10105T across the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i3-10105T scores 670 against the i5-8500T’s 662, a margin of just 1.2%. The single-core R15 test is similarly tight, with scores of 94 and 93 respectively, resulting in a 1.1% lead for the i3. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20, where the i3-10105T posts 2795 multi-core and 394 single-core, versus 2759 and 389 for the i5-8500T, both yielding a 1.3% advantage. The largest Cinebench gap appears in R23, where the i3-10105T scores 6656 multi-core and 939 single-core, while the i5-8500T manages 6571 and 927, again translating to a 1.3% delta in both tests.

These margins are remarkably consistent, suggesting that the i3-10105T’s higher clock speeds (3.00 GHz base, 3.90 GHz boost) provide a slight but dependable edge over the i5-8500T’s lower frequencies (2.10 GHz base, 3.50 GHz boost) in rendering workloads. However, the Geekbench results tell a completely different story. In Geekbench multi-core, the i5-8500T scores 4293, which is a commanding 17.6% higher than the i3-10105T’s 3649. This is the single largest delta in the entire comparison, and it highlights a scenario where the i5’s two additional physical cores outweigh the i3’s hyperthreading and clock advantage. Conversely, in Geekbench single-core, the i3-10105T strikes back with 1265 versus 1187, a 6.2% lead for the newer part.

The benchmark database records 7 wins for the i3-10105T and only 1 win for the i5-8500T. This outcome suggests that while the i3-10105T is generally the faster processor in most measured tasks, the i5-8500T retains a significant advantage in at least one major multi-threaded workload, likely due to its raw core count. The consistency of the Cinebench results (all within 1.3%) indicates that these two CPUs are closely matched in sustained parallel compute, whereas the Geekbench divergence implies that the i5-8500T’s architecture handles certain multi-threaded tasks more efficiently.

Architecture Differences

The two processors hail from different Intel generations. The i5-8500T is built on the Coffee Lake architecture, released in April 2018, while the i3-10105T uses the Comet Lake architecture, specifically Comet Lake-R, and launched in March 2021. Both are manufactured on Intel’s 14 nm process node and produced by Intel’s own foundry, so the fundamental transistor technology is identical. The core counts, however, differ substantially: the i5-8500T has 6 cores and 6 threads, whereas the i3-10105T has 4 cores and 8 threads. This means the i5 offers more physical cores, but the i3 enables hyperthreading, allowing each of its 4 cores to handle 2 threads simultaneously.

Cache configurations also diverge. Both CPUs share the same per-core L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (256 KB per core) capacities, but the shared L3 cache is larger on the i5-8500T at 9 MB (shared) compared to 6 MB (shared) on the i3-10105T. This 3 MB difference could influence performance in workloads that are sensitive to cache residency. The sockets are incompatible, with the i5-8500T using Intel Socket 1151 and the i3-10105T using Intel Socket 1200, meaning they require different motherboards. Both processors support DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, with an identical memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, and neither supports ECC memory.

Integrated graphics are nearly identical, with the i5-8500T featuring UHD 630 and the i3-10105T featuring UHD Graphics 630. Both offer PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The production status differs, as the i5-8500T is end-of-life while the i3-10105T remains active. The i3-10105T has a higher base clock by 0.90 GHz and a higher boost clock by 0.40 GHz, which partially compensates for its fewer cores. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded benchmark data, the Intel Core i3-10105T is the clear winner in Cinebench rendering workloads. It outperforms the i5-8500T in all three Cinebench versions (R15, R20, and R23), both in multi-core and single-core tests. The margins are small, ranging from 1.1% to 1.3%, but they are consistent. This suggests that for tasks like 3D rendering, video encoding, or any workload that scales with Cinebench’s rendering engine, the i3-10105T offers a slight but reliable performance advantage. Its higher boost clock of 3.90 GHz appears to be the deciding factor, allowing it to edge out the i5-8500T despite having two fewer physical cores.

The Intel Core i5-8500T, however, wins decisively in Geekbench multi-core, with a 17.6% margin over the i3-10105T. This is a substantial difference that cannot be ignored. Geekbench’s multi-core test often exercises more diverse workloads, including memory-bound and integer-heavy tasks, where having 6 physical cores provides a tangible benefit over 4 cores with hyperthreading. The i5-8500T also has a larger L3 cache (9 MB versus 6 MB), which may help in scenarios where data reuse across cores is frequent. For system-level multitasking, general productivity, or any benchmark that mimics Geekbench’s model, the i5-8500T is the superior choice.

In single-core Geekbench, the i3-10105T wins with a 6.2% lead, which is more pronounced than its Cinebench single-core advantage. This indicates that for lightly threaded tasks like web browsing, office applications, or gaming (which often rely on one to two cores), the i3-10105T’s higher clock speed is more beneficial. The i5-8500T’s lower clocks hold it back in such scenarios.

Specification Differences

The specification differences between these two CPUs are concentrated in a few key areas. The core and thread counts differ: the i5-8500T has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the i3-10105T has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clock speeds differ by 0.90 GHz (2.10 GHz for the i5, 3.00 GHz for the i3), and boost clocks differ by 0.40 GHz (3.50 GHz vs 3.90 GHz). The L3 cache is 9 MB shared on the i5-8500T versus 6 MB shared on the i3-10105T. The socket types are different: Intel Socket 1151 for the i5 and Intel Socket 1200 for the i3.

The architectures are Coffee Lake versus Comet Lake, with correspondingly different codenames (Coffee Lake vs Comet Lake-R). Release dates differ by nearly three years, with the i5-8500T launching in April 2018 and the i3-10105T in March 2021. The production status differs, as the i5-8500T is end-of-life while the i3-10105T is active. The i3-10105T has a launch MSRP of $134. Part numbers are distinct: SR3XD for the i5 and SRH3R for the i3. Both CPUs share identical TDP (35 W), memory support (DDR4, dual-channel, 42.7 GB/s), PCIe configuration (Gen 3, 16 lanes), integrated graphics (UHD 630), process node (14 nm), and lack of ECC support.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i3-10105T scores 6656, which is 1.3% higher than the i5-8500T’s 6571.

Q: How significant is the i5-8500T’s win in Geekbench multi-core?

A: The i5-8500T scores 4293, which is 17.6% higher than the i3-10105T’s 3649, making it the largest performance gap in the entire comparison.

Q: Do these CPUs have the same number of cores?

A: No, the i5-8500T has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the i3-10105T has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What is the difference in boost clock speeds?

A: The i3-10105T boosts to 3.90 GHz, which is 0.40 GHz higher than the i5-8500T’s 3.50 GHz boost.

Q: Are these processors compatible with the same motherboard?

A: No, the i5-8500T uses Intel Socket 1151, while the i3-10105T uses Intel Socket 1200.

Q: Which CPU has more L3 cache?

A: The i5-8500T has 9 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i3-10105T has 6 MB.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture. For users prioritizing rendering workloads like Cinebench, the Intel Core i3-10105T is the better choice, consistently winning all six Cinebench tests by margins of 1.1% to 1.3%. Its higher clock speeds compensate for fewer cores, and it also wins Geekbench single-core by 6.2%. However, the i5-8500T’s 17.6% victory in Geekbench multi-core is impossible to overlook. This suggests that for general-purpose multitasking, heavy system workloads, or any application that resembles Geekbench’s multi-threaded model, the i5-8500T offers substantially better performance.

The i3-10105T is the newer, active processor with a longer production lifecycle, while the i5-8500T is end-of-life. The i3-10105T also has a launch MSRP of $134, though pricing considerations are not part of this analysis. From a pure benchmark perspective, the i3-10105T wins 7 out of 8 tests, making it the default recommendation for most users. The i5-8500T is only preferable for those whose workloads specifically benefit from 6 physical cores, as evidenced by its Geekbench multi-core dominance. The choice ultimately hinges on whether the user’s primary tasks align with Cinebench-style rendering (choose the i3) or Geekbench-style multitasking (choose the i5).