Core i5-10500
Model frame rate limit of 100 FPS. That is roughly the fastest this processor can feed a graphics card in a modern AAA title, no matter which card you fit.
The Core i5-10500 is an entry-level gaming processor in our database, with a model frame rate limit of 100 FPS.
With 6 cores and 12 threads it has what current games want, with a little to spare for background tasks.
It uses the LGA 1200 socket with DDR4 memory, and at 1440p it can keep up with a card as fast as the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB.
Frame Rate Limit in Popular Games
| Game (settings) | Most FPS the Core i5-10500 can feed |
|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) | ~85 |
| Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) | ~125 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) | ~110 |
| Counter-Strike 2 (High) | ~220 |
Modelled estimates with an unlimited graphics card, rounded to the nearest 5 FPS. Your real frame rate is the lower of this and what your card can render. See the methodology.
Best match at each resolution
| Resolution | Closest matched card | Estimated FPS |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | Radeon RX 6750 XT | 100 |
| 1440p | Radeon RX 7800 XT | 100 |
| 4K | GeForce RTX 5080 | 99 |
"Closest matched" means the two parts run out of headroom at about the same frame rate, so neither is obviously wasted. A faster card is still worth buying if you plan to raise the resolution later.
The cards it lands closest to
The 24 graphics cards whose frame rate limit sits nearest this processor's, fastest first. Anything faster than the top of this table is wasted on it at 1080p, and anything slower is a card it will never trouble. For any other combination, use the calculator.
| Graphics card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 76 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3090 Ti | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 74 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 4070 Ti | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 70 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3090 | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 70 gpu |
| Radeon RX 9070 | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 70 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 68 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6950 XT | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 67 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 5070 | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 65 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 4070 Super | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 64 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 65 gpu |
| Radeon RX 7900 GRE | 100 cpu | 100 cpu | 65 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3080 | 100 cpu | 100 even | 62 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6900 XT | 100 cpu | 100 even | 62 gpu |
| Radeon RX 7800 XT | 100 cpu | 100 even | 60 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6800 XT | 100 cpu | 98 even | 59 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 100 cpu | 91 gpu | 54 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 4070 | 100 cpu | 91 gpu | 54 gpu |
| Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB | 100 cpu | 90 gpu | 53 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB | 100 cpu | 88 gpu | 52 gpu |
| Radeon RX 7700 XT | 100 cpu | 88 gpu | 52 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | 100 cpu | 86 gpu | 51 gpu |
| Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB | 100 cpu | 86 gpu | 51 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6800 | 100 cpu | 86 gpu | 51 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3070 | 100 cpu | 82 gpu | 48 gpu |
The tag after each number says which part hits its limit first.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Intel |
| Generation | Intel 10th Gen (Comet Lake) |
| Cores | 6 |
| Threads | 12 |
| Released | 2020 |
Other Intel 10th Gen (Comet Lake) Processors
- Core i5-10400 bottleneck and GPU pairing
- Core i5-10400F bottleneck and GPU pairing
- Core i5-10600K bottleneck and GPU pairing
- Core i3-10100F bottleneck and GPU pairing
Common Questions
Is the Core i5-10500 good for an RTX 5070?
It holds the card back at 1440p. In our model the Core i5-10500 tops out near 100 FPS while the RTX 5070 could reach about 106, leaving roughly 6% of the card unused. It is a reasonable pairing at 4K, where the card does more work per frame.
What is the best GPU for the Core i5-10500?
At 1440p, the Radeon RX 7800 XT is the closest match: the two run out of headroom at about the same frame rate, so neither is wasted. A faster card still makes sense if you play at 4K, where the processor matters less.
Is the Core i5-10500 still good for gaming?
For older or lighter games, yes. Its 100 FPS frame rate limit and 12 threads mean modern AAA games run, but it will limit any recent mid-range or better card.
Will the Core i5-10500 bottleneck an RTX 5080?
Yes, at 1440p. It leaves about 33% of the RTX 5080 unused in our model (100 FPS from the processor against 149 from the card). At 4K the gap shrinks a lot.