Intel Core i5-7500T

The Intel Core i5-7500T is a 4-core, 4-thread desktop processor built on the 14 nm Kaby Lake architecture. It runs at a base clock of 2.70 GHz and boosts to 3.30 GHz, with a 35 W TDP that marks it as a low-power part. It supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with a theoretical bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, and it carries integrated HD 630 graphics. In the benchmark database, its average score of 1481 places it at the 39th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 39% of the tested processors — a mid-to-low standing that reflects its efficiency-oriented design rather than raw performance.

Benchmark Performance

The i5-7500T’s benchmark results are consistent across a range of synthetic workloads. In Cinebench R15, it scores 445 points in multi-core and 62 points in single-core. The R20 version yields 1857 multi-core and 262 single-core, while R23 shows 4422 multi-core and 624 single-core. Geekbench reports 3067 multi-core and 1109 single-core. These numbers place the processor in a narrow performance band relative to its nearest rivals. Its average benchmark score of 1481 is within 1.2% of every competitor in its immediate vicinity, indicating that the i5-7500T offers no significant advantage or disadvantage in overall throughput.

Specifically, the i5-7500T is 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i5-5575R, which posts an average score of 1477. It trails the Intel Core i5-6600 by 0.5% (1488 average) and the AMD Opteron 6344 by 0.7% (1492 average). Against the Intel Core i3-7350K, the i5-7500T is 1.2% ahead (1464 average). These deltas are small enough to be considered negligible in real-world use, but they do establish a clear hierarchy: the i5-7500T sits just above the i5-5575R and i3-7350K, and just below the i5-6600 and Opteron 6344. The benchmark data shows that the i5-7500T is not a performance outlier; it is a middle-of-the-pack quad-core that trades clock speed and thermal headroom for lower power consumption.

Power and Thermals

With a TDP of only 35 W, the i5-7500T belongs to a class of processors designed for compact systems where cooling is constrained. This low thermal envelope implies that a simple air cooler — even a low-profile one — is sufficient to keep the chip within its operating limits. The 35 W figure is notably lower than typical desktop quad-cores, which often sit in the 65 W to 95 W range, though that comparison is not available in the data pack. The low TDP also suggests that the processor will produce minimal heat output, making it suitable for small form factor builds, silent PCs, or always-on systems. The 14 nm process node helps achieve this efficiency, and the boost clock of 3.30 GHz is still respectable given the power constraint. For users who prioritize low noise and low energy draw over maximum performance, the i5-7500T’s thermal profile is a clear asset.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The i5-7500T has four physical cores and four threads, with no hyper-threading. This configuration means that multi-threaded workloads can utilize all four cores, but there is no extra thread-level parallelism. The benchmark data reflects this: in Cinebench R23, the multi-core score of 4422 is roughly 7.1 times the single-core score of 624. That ratio is higher than the 4:1 core count, which indicates that the single-core score is relatively low compared to the multi-core result. The same pattern appears in R15 (445 vs 62, a 7.2 ratio) and R20 (1857 vs 262, a 7.1 ratio). Geekbench shows a different scaling, with multi-core at 3067 versus single-core at 1109, a ratio of 2.8, but that benchmark weights differently.

In practice, the single-thread performance of the i5-7500T is modest. Scores of 62 in R15 and 624 in R23 are low enough that tasks heavily dependent on a single core — such as older games, some productivity apps, or lightly threaded scripts — will not see stellar responsiveness. However, the multi-core scores are more competitive, suggesting that the processor can handle parallel workloads like video encoding, 3D rendering, or compilation with reasonable efficiency, provided the software scales across four cores. The absence of hyper-threading means that heavily threaded tasks will not gain the extra headroom that a similar 4-core/8-thread part might offer, but the i5-7500T still delivers consistent scaling across its physical cores.

How It Compares

Intel Core i5-5575R — The i5-7500T edges out the i5-5575R by 0.3% in average score (1481 vs 1477). This is a negligible difference, effectively making them peers. The i5-5575R is an older Broadwell-based part, but the data shows no meaningful performance gap in aggregate benchmarks. For practical purposes, the two are interchangeable in performance, though the i5-7500T’s newer architecture and lower TDP may offer other benefits not captured by raw score.

Intel Core i5-6600 — The i5-6600 holds a 0.5% lead over the i5-7500T (1488 vs 1481). This is a very slim margin, well within run-to-run variance. The i5-6600 is a 65 W part with higher base and boost clocks, so its slight advantage in average score is expected. Still, the i5-7500T’s 35 W TDP makes it a more power-efficient alternative, and the performance gap is too small to be decisive in most workloads.

AMD Opteron 6344 — The Opteron 6344 is 0.7% faster than the i5-7500T (1492 vs 1481). This AMD processor is a server-grade chip with a much higher core count, but the benchmark average shows that the i5-7500T nearly matches it in overall throughput. That is a testament to the i5-7500T’s per-core efficiency, as it achieves comparable aggregate performance with far fewer cores and a fraction of the power draw. The Opteron’s lead is trivial and unlikely to be noticed outside heavily threaded server workloads.

Intel Core i3-7350K — The i5-7500T is 1.2% faster than the i3-7350K (1481 vs 1464). The i3-7350K is a dual-core part with hyper-threading and a high clock speed, but the i5-7500T’s extra two physical cores give it a slight edge in multi-threaded tests. The margin is small, but it shows that the i5-7500T’s quad-core design offers a real, if modest, advantage over a top-end dual-core. For users who need more than two cores, the i5-7500T is the better choice, though the i3-7350K might be preferable for pure single-thread tasks if its higher clock speed matters.

Platform and Compatibility

The i5-7500T uses the Intel Socket 1151, which is a mature platform with broad compatibility. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The memory controller does not support ECC, so error-correcting memory is not available. The processor provides 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, which is typical for a mainstream desktop chip; this is sufficient for a single high-end graphics card or a couple of NVMe drives, though the exact lane allocation is not specified. Integrated HD 630 graphics are included, making the i5-7500T a viable option for systems without a discrete GPU, though the performance of the integrated graphics is not benchmarked here.

The processor is based on the Kaby Lake architecture, which is the 7th generation of Core i5 parts. It was released on January 2, 2017, and its production status is listed as Active, meaning it is still available. As a Socket 1151 part, it is compatible with motherboards that support that socket, though the specific chipset compatibility is not detailed in the data. The upgrade path from this processor would involve moving to a higher-tier Socket 1151 CPU, but no such options are listed in the fact pack. For users building a new system, the i5-7500T offers a low-power, quad-core foundation with integrated graphics and standard memory and PCIe support, but its performance ceiling is limited compared to more recent platforms. The 14 nm process and 35 W TDP make it an attractive choice for compact, energy-conscious builds where the modest performance is acceptable.