Core i5-2500S
Model frame rate limit of 57 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 i5-2500S is one of the slowest gaming processor in our database, with a model frame rate limit of 57 FPS.
With 4 cores and 4 threads it is below what modern games expect, so busy scenes stutter before the average frame rate shows a problem.
Frame Rate Limit in Popular Games
| Game (settings) | Most FPS the Core i5-2500S can feed |
|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) | ~50 |
| Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) | ~70 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) | ~65 |
| Counter-Strike 2 (High) | ~125 |
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 | GeForce GTX 1660 Super | 53 |
| 1440p | GeForce RTX 5050 | 57 |
| 4K | Radeon RX 6800 XT | 57 |
"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 4060 | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 37 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 2080 | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 37 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 2070 Super | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 36 gpu |
| GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 36 gpu |
| Radeon RX 7600 XT | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 36 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6700 | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 36 gpu |
| Radeon RX 5700 XT | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 36 gpu |
| Radeon VII | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 36 gpu |
| Radeon RX 7600 | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 35 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6650 XT | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 34 gpu |
| Intel Arc A770 16GB | 57 cpu | 57 cpu | 34 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 5050 | 57 cpu | 57 even | 32 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6600 XT | 57 cpu | 57 even | 32 gpu |
| Radeon RX 5700 | 57 cpu | 57 even | 32 gpu |
| Intel Arc B570 | 57 cpu | 57 even | 32 gpu |
| Intel Arc A770 8GB | 57 cpu | 57 even | 32 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 2070 | 57 cpu | 56 even | 31 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | 57 cpu | 55 even | 30 gpu |
| Radeon RX Vega 64 | 57 cpu | 55 even | 30 gpu |
| Intel Arc A750 | 57 cpu | 55 even | 30 gpu |
| GeForce RTX 2060 Super | 57 cpu | 53 gpu | 29 gpu |
| GeForce GTX 1080 | 57 cpu | 51 gpu | 28 gpu |
| Radeon RX 6600 | 57 cpu | 50 gpu | 27 gpu |
| GeForce GTX 1070 Ti | 57 cpu | 48 gpu | 26 gpu |
The tag after each number says which part hits its limit first.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Intel |
| Generation | Intel 2nd Gen (Sandy Bridge) |
| Cores | 4 |
| Threads | 4 |
| Released | 2011 |
Common Questions
Is the Core i5-2500S good for an RTX 5070?
It holds the card back at 1440p. In our model the Core i5-2500S tops out near 57 FPS while the RTX 5070 could reach about 106, leaving roughly 46% 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 i5-2500S?
At 1440p, the GeForce RTX 5050 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 i5-2500S still good for gaming?
For older or lighter games, yes. Its 57 FPS frame rate limit and 4 threads mean modern AAA games run, but it will limit any recent mid-range or better card.
Will the Core i5-2500S bottleneck an RTX 5080?
Yes, at 1440p. It leaves about 62% of the RTX 5080 unused in our model (57 FPS from the processor against 149 from the card). At 4K the gap shrinks a lot.