Intel Core i5 6500, 4 Cores & 4 Threads Unlocked Desktop Processor without Processor Graphics

The i5-6500 is the best bang for the buck sixth-generation Intel processor @ $199, with the 6600 (non-K) version costing about about $30 more, and the 6400 version costing about $15 less. You really cannot go wrong with any of them, and all are perfect for any reasonably-priced, robust desktop build.PRO: - Runs cooler, and consumes less power than previous generation i5 processors - on-par with previous generation i3 processors!CON: - Only modest raw performance gains over the last several i5 generations, which is probably to be expected.My Current System Build:- PHANTEKS Enthoo Evolv mATX Aluminum Case (White) - $129.99- ENERMAX Revolution X't ATX 530 Watt Gold-Rated Power Supply (ERX530AWT) - $79.99- GIGABYTE LGA-1151 Intel H110 mATX DDR4 Motherboard (GA-H110M-S2HP) - $76.99- KINGSTON HyperX FURY Black 16GB (2x8GB) 2133MHz DDR4 CL14 Memory (HX421C14FBK2/16) - $96.99- INTEL Core I5-6500 3.20Ghz LGA-1151 Processor - $199.99- EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB FTW GAMING ACX 2.0+, Graphics Card (04G-P4-3969-KR) - $184.99- INTEL 240GB SATA 2.5" SSD (DC S3500 Enterprise Class) - Primary Boot/OS Drive - $159.99- WESTERN DIGITAL 1TB SATA 3.5" HDD - Secondary Drive - $59.99- WESTERN DIGITAL 500GB SATA 2.5 HDD - Misc. Storage/Backup Drive - $49.99- HP BH40N Blu-ray DVD Internal 5.25 Drive - $37.99- Planar 1600x900 20" LED Monitor + HP 1920x1080 27" IPS MonitorUpdate 6/8/2018 - Still running great! All the components seem to mesh very well together, with no bottlenecks or weak-links. 1920x1080 or 1600x900 gaming performance is perfect!

I have a second computer that I use as an always-on PC for torrents and as a backup for my WD My Cloud 4TB drive.This PC used to be an old Pentium 4 CPU @ 3 Ghz with 4Gb SDRAM.I upgraded to this build:- i5-6500- Gigabyte LGA1151 Intel Z170 Micro ATX DDR4 Motherboards GA-Z170M-D3H- 16 GB Crucial memory Kit (8GBx2) DDR4 2133- Corsair PSU RM650W- (existing) Corsair H80i CPU cooler- (existing) 6 years old Intel SSD 80 GB + 2x 2Tb WD 7200rpm + 2x 1Tb WD 7200rpm + 1x 250Gb Seagate 7200rpm (total 1 SSD & 5 HDD).My results are based on comparisons by observations (didn't bother with stop watches or numbers) between the old P4 setup and the new above setup:- Torrents: Building an 8Gb file from torrents (using winrar): Old P4 PC: Around 4 minutes. This i5 PC: Around 1.5 minutes. This is a very good improvement over the old P4 but I was kind of hoping to see results closer to 1 minute because the P4 and the i5-6500 are what, 5 or 6 generations apart?... BUT I have to be fair and note that this COULD be due to limitations of the HDDs in the PC and that the i5 is capable of doing a much faster job had I tested before/after using the Intel 80 GB SSD but it barely have space because it is the C drive of the build.- Windows loading: Windows 10 used to load in about 30 seconds, now it loads in just ~10 seconds (these observations are after POST screen of course).- File copying: When copying from the WD My Cloud into the computer, an 8Gb file used to take around 1 minute (i have 1GB network), now it takes around 45-50 seconds. I guess this more limited by the Hard Disc its self too, but we can still see a good improvement.So, bottom line I was not expecting wonders and demanding performance from this PC because as said above, it is meant for torrents and backing up the WD My Cloud, I really don't care how long it takes to build a file from torrent files or how long it takes to copy half terabytes from the WD My Cloud to the PC, I was forced to do this upgrade because the old hardware started acting crazy and all attempts to resolve it went down the drain hence making it useless for its purpose as an (always on) PC. In the same time, i was intrigued to see what difference in performance I will get.I was kind of expecting better results in the torrents department. Other than that, for an always on PC with tasks ran in the background while i access it using RDP from my main computer, I can't be more happy.

For anyone looking to build or upgrade their processor in a gaming/productivity PC, look no further. The intel i5 6500 is one of my favorite processors in its performance range. When I first installed this processor into my PC it was a breeze. I was pretty astounded at the speed, swiftness, and reliability of this processor. This processor can prove to be more than enough for most of your needs. You need it for gaming? It gets the job done right. Productivity? You got it. This i5 can handle most of any tasks you can throw at it. The price also isn’t bad at all for the performance you’re gonna get. It’s a great all around processor.After a couple years of using pretty heavily it has shown some age, however, nothing major. It sometimes will display a little lag and get slow, however, nothing to hinder performance in gaming or nothing to slow your work day down.