Core i5-6500

Details and Benchmarks for Intel Core i5-6500

Sysbuilds Alpha Stage!

Please take all results with a big grain of salt. Sysbuilds is in alpha stage at the moment which can lead to wrong data, strange counting errors, silly results and more. This site is under active development.

Benchmark Results

Combined benchmark scores based on multiple data points, giving a quick overview of this processor's performance.

Overall Score

Overall score for Core i5-6500 based on all benchmark results gathered. Look at this like a meta score, you will find more specific workload ratings below.

5,166 Rank: 733
Rank Name Score Visual
729 Core i5-7360U 5,172
+0.1%
730 Xeon E3-1220 v5 5,171
+0.1%
731 Core i7 X 000 5,168
+0%
732 Core i3-1115G4 5,167
+0%
733 Core i5-6500 5,166
734 Xeon E5-2666 v3 5,166
+0%
735 FX-8100 5,164
+-0%
736 Ryzen 5 4600HS 5,164
+-0%
737 Ryzen 3 2200G 5,162
-0.1%
738 Xeon E5-2687W v2 5,158
-0.2%

View full ranking →

Multicore Score

Multicore performance score for Core i5-6500 based on multi-threaded benchmark results.

4,808 Rank: 832
Rank Name Score Visual
828 Pentium G4400T 4,812
+0.1%
829 Pentium G4400 4,812
+0.1%
830 Core i7-2600K 4,812
+0.1%
831 Core i7-870 4,811
+0.1%
832 Core i5-6500 4,808
833 Xeon E3-1220 v3 4,808
+0%
834 Xeon E3-1280 v3 4,807
+-0%
835 Ryzen 5 3400G 4,806
+-0%
836 Core i5-4570R 4,804
-0.1%
837 Core i5-4670S 4,803
-0.1%

View full ranking →

Singlecore Score

Single-core performance score for Core i5-6500 based on single-threaded benchmark results.

5,405 Rank: 636
Rank Name Score Visual
632 Xeon Gold 6130 5,409
+0.1%
633 Core i7-6820HK 5,409
+0.1%
634 Xeon Gold 6242 5,407
+0%
635 Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE 5,405
+0%
636 Core i5-6500 5,405
637 Xeon Gold 6148 5,404
+-0%
638 Core i5-1035G1 5,401
-0.1%
639 EPYC 7702P 5,401
-0.1%
640 Ryzen 5 4500U 5,400
-0.1%
641 Core i3-10110U 5,399
-0.1%

View full ranking →

Workload Scores

Performance scores grouped by workload type, normalized and aggregated from multiple raw benchmark results.

Number Crunching

Aggregated score for Core i5-6500 based on integer math, floating point math, and prime number computation benchmarks.

4,637 Rank: 865
Rank Name Score Visual
861 Core i7-2700K 4,639
+0%
862 Core i5-4570S 4,639
+0%
863 Core i5-7440EQ 4,638
+0%
864 Core i5-4460 4,638
+0%
865 Core i5-6500 4,637
866 Core i5-7440HQ 4,637
+0%
867 Core i5-6600T 4,637
+0%
868 Core i5-3550 4,637
+0%
869 Core i7-4700MQ 4,637
+0%
870 Xeon E3-1280 4,637
+0%

View full ranking →

Data Processing

Aggregated score for Core i5-6500 based on data encryption, data compression, and string sorting benchmarks.

4,607 Rank: 883
Rank Name Score Visual
879 Xeon X5667 4,609
+0%
880 Xeon E3-1225 v6 4,608
+0%
881 Athlon 240GE 4,607
+0%
882 Xeon E3-1220 v5 4,607
+0%
883 Core i5-6500 4,607
884 Core i5-6600T 4,607
+0%
885 Core i5-4670S 4,607
+0%
886 Core i7-3612QM 4,607
+0%
887 Core i3-9100T 4,605
+-0%
888 Xeon E-2104G 4,605
+-0%

View full ranking →

Physics & Compute

Aggregated score for Core i5-6500 based on physics simulation and extended instruction set (SSE/AVX) benchmarks.

4,702 Rank: 732
Rank Name Score Visual
728 Xeon D-1528 4,705
+0.1%
729 Xeon E5-2630L v2 4,704
+0%
730 Xeon E5-1607 v4 4,703
+0%
731 Core i7-1185GRE 4,703
+0%
732 Core i5-6500 4,702
733 Core i5-4690K 4,702
+0%
734 Core i7-6700HQ 4,701
+-0%
735 Core i5-8305G 4,701
+-0%
736 Xeon E3-1240L v5 4,700
+-0%
737 Core i5-7400 4,699
-0.1%

View full ranking →

Core i5-6500 Details

Ranking #733 of 2060 in overall performance, the Intel Core i5-6500 offers a balanced desktop computing experience that remains relevant for basic productivity and light multitasking as of March 2026. Launched in July 2015, this processor is now over a decade old, placing it firmly in the category of legacy hardware. Despite its age, the Core i5-6500 continues to hold a competitive position in the lower end of the performance spectrum, particularly when compared to modern mid-tier CPUs.

Built on Intel's Skylake microarchitecture and fabricated on a 14 nm process, the i5-6500 is a quad-core, four-thread CPU with a base frequency of 3.2 GHz and a turbo boost up to 3.6 GHz. It supports dual-channel DDR4-2133 and DDR3L-1600 memory, delivering a maximum memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. With a 65 W TDP and a LGA-1151 socket, the chip is designed for mainstream desktop platforms, requiring a Z170, B150, or H110 chipset for optimal compatibility.

The integrated HD Graphics 530 GPU provides decent basic visual performance, with a base frequency of 350 MHz and a boost up to 1.05 GHz, supporting up to three displays. While not suitable for modern gaming or intensive graphics workloads, it enables entry-level multimedia use and multi-monitor setups. The processor supports a range of key Intel technologies, including AVX2, AES-NI, Intel vPro, and virtualization features like VT-x and VT-d, enhancing its utility in business and virtualized environments.

In benchmark testing, the Core i5-6500 achieves a single-core score of 5405, placing it at #635 of 2060, and a multicore score of 4808, ranking #832 of 2060. These results indicate that its single-core performance is relatively strong compared to its multicore output, a common trait among older processors with limited thread scaling. While it outperforms several modern CPUs in single-threaded tasks, its multicore capabilities are significantly overshadowed by current offerings.

When compared to more recent processors, the i5-6500 falls behind in both raw performance and efficiency. It is outpaced by nearly every current-generation CPU in the top 50 rankings, including the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K. However, it still holds its own against older generation CPUs such as the Core i7-2600K and Xeon E3-1280 v3, which it surpasses in both single-core and multicore performance.

Overall, the Core i5-6500 is best suited for legacy systems, entry-level desktops, or as a replacement in budget builds where integrated graphics and moderate performance are sufficient. While it no longer competes with modern processors in raw power, its longevity and compatibility with mainstream platforms make it a practical choice for users who prioritize stability and cost-effectiveness over cutting-edge performance.
Frequently Compared

AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 4 views

AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500U 2 views

AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE 1 view

Intel Xeon Silver 4116T 1 view

Intel Xeon Silver 4112 1 view

Intel Xeon Silver 4110 1 view

Intel Xeon Silver 4108 1 view

Intel Core i7-7820EQ 1 view

Intel Core i5-6500

Main Specifications

Designer: Intel
Name: Core i5-6500
Family: Core
Series: i5-6000
Model Number: i5-6500
Cores: 4
Threads: 4
Base Frequency: 3200 MHz
Turbo Frequency (1 core): 3600 MHz
Turbo Frequency (2 cores): 3500 MHz
Turbo Frequency (3 cores): 3400 MHz
Turbo Frequency (4 cores): 3300 MHz
Clock Multiplier: 32x (locked)
Microarchitecture: Skylake
Core Name: Skylake
Core Family: 6
Core Model: 94
Socket: LGA-1151
Package: FCLGA-1151
Chipset: Sunrise
Target Segment: Desktop
Max CPUs: 1
TDP: 65 W
Release Price: $202.00

Cache Specifications

L1 Cache: 256 KiB
L1 Instruction Cache: 128 KiB (8-way set associative)
L1 Data Cache: 128 KiB (8-way set associative)
L2 Cache: 1 MiB (4-way set associative)
L3 Cache: 6 MiB

Memory Specifications

Supported Memory Type: DDR3L-1600 and DDR4-2133
Memory Channels: 2
Maximum Memory: 64 GB
Maximum Bandwidth: 31.79 GB/s
ECC Support: No

Integrated Graphics

GPU: HD Graphics 530
GPU Designer: Intel
GPU Max Frequency: 1050 MHz
Execution Units: 24

Physical Specifications

Process: 14 nm
Die Area: 122 mm²
Manufacturer: Intel
Technology: CMOS
Word Size: 64-bit
ISA: x86-64 (x86)

CPU Features

MMX EMMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX AVX2 ABM BMI1 BMI2 FMA3 AES RdRand ADX CLMUL F16C x86-16 x86-32 x86-64 Real Protected SMM FPU NX TBT 2.0 EIST TXT vPro VT-x VT-d EPT MPX SGX Secure Key SMEP SIPP IPT SHA TSX ISRT
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