Intel Core i5-6500 Buyer's Guide
Positioning and generation
The Intel Core i5-6500 is a desktop processor based on the Skylake architecture, part of the 6th Gen family. In our ranking it sits in the older mainstream band. It has four cores and four threads and includes integrated graphics, so it can run a basic desktop without a dedicated graphics card.
By today's standards it is no longer new, but it still handles lighter games as well as everyday work such as office tasks, web browsing and video playback. If you already own one, or your budget is very tight, it remains a usable starting point.
Expect it to struggle with newer and more demanding games, especially titles that put a heavy load on the processor. Decide which kinds of games you mainly play before buying.
Key specs explained
The specifications we hold are: 4 cores, 4 threads, the Skylake architecture, the 6th Gen generation, a desktop type, and integrated graphics.
The core and thread count sets how much work the processor can do at once. Four cores with four threads means there is no simultaneous multithreading, so each core runs one thread at a time. Four physical cores are still enough for many games, but in scenarios with heavy background activity it will hit limits sooner than rivals that offer more threads.
The integrated graphics let the chip drive a display without a separate graphics card, which suits office and home PCs. Its graphics performance is limited, though. For gaming, pair it with a dedicated graphics card that has enough video memory (VRAM).
Suitable games and resolutions
In our data, this processor has a result for 416 of the 439 catalogue games with published official requirements. It falls below the official minimum in 78 of them, meets only the minimum in 106, meets the recommended tier in 172, and is well above the recommended tier in 60. In short, roughly four in ten games reach the official recommended level, while a sizeable share land at the minimum or below it.
Games that reach the recommended tier include Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition, Paralives, Timberborn, The Last Caretaker, Shape of Dreams, Hollow Knight: Silksong, FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time and Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Games that only meet the minimum include Big Ambitions, Yet Another Zombie Survivors, IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator, Fields of Mistria, MECCHA CHAMELEON and Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library! Games below the minimum include Big Walk, Scrap Mechanic, DragonSword : Awakening, Palworld, Gothic 1 Remake and LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
For resolution, 1080p is the sensible target. With a suitable graphics card it suits general games at low to medium settings. Pushing to higher resolutions usually requires a much stronger graphics card to keep up.
Compared with similar hardware
Just above it in our tier ordering are the Intel Core i7-4790, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X and the Intel Core i5-7400. They sit slightly higher on the official requirement comparison.
Just below it are the Intel Core i7-4770K, the Intel Core i3-7100 and the AMD Ryzen 5 1400. These sit slightly lower, so in processor-heavy games they will usually be more constrained than the i5-6500.
These comparisons only reflect relative position in our ranking, not real-world gaming differences. Base your choice on the games you want to play and their official requirements.
Buying new or used
This processor uses the LGA1151 socket, so confirm that your motherboard matches that socket before buying. It is a launch-generation product for that socket, so you should not need to update a board's BIOS specifically for it.
The boxed version includes a basic stock cooler; tray units do not.
This processor uses a land grid design: the pins are in the motherboard socket, so take care not to touch them when installing it.
Its multiplier is locked, so it cannot be manually overclocked.
If buying used, check the unit for physical damage and ask for proof of purchase and its warranty status. For new units, buy through a reputable retailer so your warranty rights are protected.
Upgrade advice
If you are on something older, or your games keep hitting the minimum requirements, moving to a clearly higher-tier processor will make a noticeable difference. Upgrade options in our data include the AMD Ryzen 7 1700, the Intel Core i7-6700K and the Intel Core i7-6800K, which all sit well above the i5-6500 and are the same or a newer generation.
When upgrading the processor, also balance the graphics card and memory. If the graphics card is already the bottleneck, a new processor alone will help little. Conversely, too little RAM will hurt your experience even with a stronger processor. Work out the main bottleneck first, then decide what to upgrade first.