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Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y vs Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700: Comparison

What is the difference between 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y and 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700?

On l3 cache the spread is 67%, 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y 4 MB against 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700 12 MB, so 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700 takes it. There is a split on p-core base clock as well, 1.5 GHz on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y versus 3.2 GHz on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700. There is a split on tdp as well, 5 W on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y versus 65 W on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700. Socket is not the same on both, FCBGA1515 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y versus FCLGA1151 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700. They differ on form factor too, Laptop on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y versus Desktop on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700.

Which should you buy, 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y or 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700?

Take the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y for premium fanless 2-in-1 and ultraportable designs wanting the strongest available chip in Intel's ultra-low-power tier. It is the wrong buy for any performance-focused computing, the 5W power budget is a genuine ceiling on sustained throughput. Take the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700 for mainstream desktop builders wanting genuine 6-core Coffee Lake performance without paying for overclocking headroom. Avoid it for enthusiasts wanting to overclock, the unlocked i7-8700K offers that flexibility at a similar price.

Where the two are identical

Everything else lines up. Efficiency cores, integrated graphics, product line and smt enabled read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing.

Frequently asked questions

Do the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y and 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700 differ on total cores?

Yes. Total Cores reads 2 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y versus 6 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Intel
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Intel
  • Product Line

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Core i7
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Core i7
  • Form Factor

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Laptop
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Desktop
  • Model Number

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    8500Y
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    8700
  • Codename

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Amber Lake Y
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Coffee Lake
  • Release Year

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    2019
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    2017
  • TDP

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    5 W
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    65 W
  • iGPU

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Intel UHD Graphics 615
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
  • Market Segment

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Laptop
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Desktop
  • Microarchitecture

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Amber Lake, 8th Gen Intel Core
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Coffee Lake, 8th Gen Intel Core
  • Socket

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    FCBGA1515
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    FCLGA1151
  • Process Node

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    14 nm
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    14 nm
  • Total Cores

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    2
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    6Best
  • Performance Cores

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    2
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    6Best
  • Efficiency Cores

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    0
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    0
  • Total Threads

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    4
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    12Best
  • SMT Enabled

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Yes
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Yes
  • P-Core Base Clock

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    1.5 GHz
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    3.2 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    4.2 GHz
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    4.6 GHz
  • L3 Cache

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    4 MB-67%
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    12 MBBest
  • Base Power

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    5 W
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    65 W
  • Memory Type

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    DDR3L-1600, LPDDR3-1866
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    DDR4Best
  • Integrated Graphics

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8500Y
    Yes
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700
    Yes

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose 8500Y if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    Choose 8700 if you want the higher L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

    More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)