Intel Core i5-8500B vs Intel Core i7-9850HE Comparison

The Intel Core i5-8500B and Intel Core i7-9850HE are both 14 nm Coffee Lake parts with six physical cores and 9 MB of shared L3 cache, yet the benchmark data reveals a clear performance hierarchy. The i7-9850HE wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with deltas ranging from -10.6% to -10.9% in favor of the mobile chip. Despite the i5-8500B having a higher base clock (3.00 GHz vs 2.70 GHz) and a higher TDP (65 W vs 45 W), the i7-9850HE’s 12 threads (versus 6) and higher boost clock (4.40 GHz vs 4.10 GHz) give it a consistent edge. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical—2423 for the i5-8500B and 2421 for the i7-9850HE—placing both at the 48th percentile of all CPUs, but the distribution of wins tells a different story.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-9850HE is the faster processor in every measured workload. Across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, the i7-9850HE leads the i5-8500B by roughly 10.6% to 10.9% in both single-core and multi-core tests. For example, in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i7-9850HE scores 8370 versus 7480 for the i5-8500B—a 10.6% margin. In single-core R23, the i7-9850HE posts 1181 versus 1056, a 10.6% gap. This pattern repeats across all six head-to-head tests, with the i7-9850HE winning every single one.

Who should pick which? The i7-9850HE is the obvious choice for any workload that benefits from multithreading—video encoding, 3D rendering, compilation—or even lightly-threaded tasks where its higher boost clock helps. The i5-8500B, despite its higher base clock and lower average score difference, cannot overcome the thread deficit. However, the i5-8500B is not without merit: it is a desktop-class part with a 65 W TDP, which may suit systems where cooling is less constrained and power draw is less critical. The i7-9850HE, with its 45 W TDP, is designed for mobile platforms, making it a better fit for laptops or compact systems where thermal headroom is tight. If you are building a desktop and have the power budget, the i5-8500B is a functional option; if you need peak performance per watt or are constrained by a mobile form factor, the i7-9850HE is the data-backed winner.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-9850HE wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests. In R15, it scores 843 versus 753 for the i5-8500B; in R20, it scores 3515 versus 3141; in R23, it scores 8370 versus 7480. The delta is consistently around -10.6% from the i5-8500B's perspective.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: The i7-9850HE also wins every single-core test. It leads by -10.9% in Cinebench R15 (119 vs 106), -10.7% in R20 (496 vs 443), and -10.6% in R23 (1181 vs 1056). This is despite the i5-8500B having a 3.00 GHz base clock versus the i7-9850HE's 2.70 GHz.

Q: Are these processors equivalent in overall performance?

A: Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical: the i5-8500B averages 2423, and the i7-9850HE averages 2421. This places them as direct rivals, with the i5-8500B holding a 0.1% lead in that aggregate metric. However, the head-to-head tests show the i7-9850HE winning all six specific benchmarks, so the aggregate number masks the consistent per-test advantage.

Q: Do both processors have the same cache configuration?

A: Yes, both feature 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache. The cache hierarchy is identical, so the performance difference comes from other factors like threads and clock speeds.

Q: Which processor has a lower TDP?

A: The Intel Core i7-9850HE has a TDP of 45 W, while the Intel Core i5-8500B has a TDP of 65 W. This makes the i7-9850HE more power-efficient on paper, which is notable given it still outperforms the i5-8500B in all benchmarks.

Q: What is the market segment for each chip?

A: The i5-8500B is classified as a Desktop processor, while the i7-9850HE is classified as Mobile. Both use the Intel BGA 1440 socket and are end-of-life products, but their intended platforms differ.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the Coffee Lake architecture, but they diverge in codename and generation naming. The i5-8500B is listed as "Coffee Lake" with the generation label "Core i5 (Coffee Lake)", while the i7-9850HE is "Coffee Lake-HR" with "Core i7 (Coffee Lake-HR)". The "HR" suffix suggests a revised variant of the Coffee Lake design, likely optimized for embedded or high-performance mobile use. Both are built on Intel's 14 nm process and use the same foundry, but the die sizes differ slightly: the i5-8500B has a die size of 154 mm², while the i7-9850HE is smaller at 149 mm². This 5 mm² difference may reflect the removal or rearrangement of certain components, though the core and cache counts remain identical.

The most significant architectural difference is in threading. The i5-8500B has 6 cores and 6 threads, meaning no Hyper-Threading support. The i7-9850HE has 6 cores and 12 threads, doubling the logical processor count. This is the primary reason for the i7-9850HE's multi-core advantage, even though its base clock is lower. Both chips lack an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not an option for either. They share the same integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630) and memory support (DDR4, dual-channel, 42.7 GB/s bandwidth), but the i5-8500B is explicitly listed with 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the i7-9850HE is simply listed as "Gen 3" without a lane count. This could indicate a difference in PCIe lane allocation, though the pack does not specify further.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several spec fields, despite sharing core count, cache, and memory support. The most notable differences are:

• Threads: 6 (i5-8500B) vs 12 (i7-9850HE)
• Base Clock: 3.00 GHz (i5-8500B) vs 2.70 GHz (i7-9850HE)
• Boost Clock: 4.10 GHz (i5-8500B) vs 4.40 GHz (i7-9850HE)
• TDP: 65 W (i5-8500B) vs 45 W (i7-9850HE)
• Die Size: 154 mm² (i5-8500B) vs 149 mm² (i7-9850HE)
• Market Segment: Desktop (i5-8500B) vs Mobile (i7-9850HE)
• Codename: Coffee Lake (i5-8500B) vs Coffee Lake-HR (i7-9850HE)
• Release Date: 2018-04-02 (i5-8500B) vs null (i7-9850HE)
• Launch MSRP: $192 (i5-8500B) vs null (i7-9850HE)
• Part Number: SRCX3 (i5-8500B) vs SRFED (i7-9850HE)

The i5-8500B has a higher base clock and a higher TDP, suggesting it can sustain higher all-core frequencies at the cost of more power. The i7-9850HE compensates with a higher boost clock and Hyper-Threading, which explains its superior single-core peak and multi-threaded throughput. The PCIe specification also differs: the i5-8500B lists "Gen 3, 16 Lanes(CPU only)", while the i7-9850HE only lists "Gen 3". This suggests the i5-8500B has a more explicit PCIe lane allocation, which may matter for desktop expansion, but the pack does not provide a lane count for the i7-9850HE.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are a clean sweep for the i7-9850HE. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-9850HE scores 843 against the i5-8500B's 753, a -10.7% delta from the i5-8500B's perspective. The R15 single-core test shows a similar gap: 119 vs 106, a -10.9% delta. Moving to R20, the multi-core scores are 3515 vs 3141 (-10.6%), and single-core is 496 vs 443 (-10.7%). In R23, the multi-core gap is 8370 vs 7480 (-10.6%), and single-core is 1181 vs 1056 (-10.6%).

The consistency of the delta—hovering between -10.6% and -10.9%—is remarkable. This suggests the i7-9850HE's advantage is systemic, not workload-specific. It is not that one test favors the i7-9850HE; every test favors it by nearly the same margin. This points to the 12-thread configuration and higher boost clock as the dominant factors. The i5-8500B's higher base clock (3.00 GHz vs 2.70 GHz) does not translate into any single-core win, which indicates that the i7-9850HE's 4.40 GHz boost clock is more impactful than the i5-8500B's 4.10 GHz boost in practice.

Notably, the i5-8500B has a Geekbench multi-core score of 4998 and a single-core score of 1407, but the i7-9850HE does not have Geekbench results in the pack. This is a gap in the data—the i7-9850HE's Geekbench performance is unknown, so the head-to-head comparison relies solely on Cinebench tests. The average benchmark score for each chip is nearly tied (2423 vs 2421), which reinforces that the Cinebench wins are the only clear differentiator available.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-9850HE wins every benchmark in the head-to-head set, so its use cases are broad. It is the better choice for multi-threaded workloads like Cinebench R23 rendering (8370 vs 7480) or R20 (3515 vs 3141), where the 12 threads provide a substantial boost. It also wins in single-threaded tasks, as shown by its R23 single-core score of 1181 vs 1056, making it suitable for applications that rely on high per-core performance, such as older games or lightly-threaded productivity apps. Its 45 W TDP also makes it a better fit for thermally constrained systems, like thin laptops or mini-PCs, where the i5-8500B's 65 W TDP might require more robust cooling.

The i5-8500B, despite losing all six head-to-head tests, still has a niche. Its higher base clock (3.00 GHz) and desktop classification suggest it can sustain high frequencies under sustained loads, assuming adequate cooling is available. In a desktop with a capable air cooler, the i5-8500B might offer more consistent all-core performance than its mobile counterpart in scenarios not captured by Cinebench—though the data does not support this directly. The i5-8500B also has a defined launch MSRP of $192, which may have made it an attractive option in its lifetime, but the pack does not include a price for the i7-9850HE, so no direct cost comparison can be made. For users prioritizing raw performance per benchmark, the i7-9850HE is the clear winner; for those with a desktop chassis and power headroom, the i5-8500B remains a functional, if slower, alternative.