Intel Core i5 2500T review

Intel delivers some low-powered gaming muscle

Reviews
By
published
Intel Core i5-2500T
Intel's Core i5-2500T could suit a mid-range gaming rig

TechRadar Verdict

The Core i5 2500T performs so well you can almost forgive Intel about the lack of overclocking potential... almost.

Pros

  • +

    Lower power

  • +

    Reasonable overclocking on the graphics

Cons

  • -

    Locked multipliers

  • -

    Could be hard to find

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Hitting the low-powered, green gamer is Intel's Core i5 2500T. We've already had a good look at Intel's Core i5 2500K processor; it's getting a reputation as the go-to chip if your budget won't quite stretch to an Intel Core i7 2600K.

Although it's getting all the attention as the flagship chip in the second generation Core i5 line-up, there are a couple of other interesting family members. Not because of their overclocking ability – they don't really have any – but because they're low power chips.

The most interesting one of these is this Core i5 2500T.

It's the T part of the name that's the important bit – it means that the chip has a TDP of just 45W. That may still sound like a fair old chunk of power, but it's a remarkable 50W lower than the 2500K.

On the flip side, unlike the 2500K, the multipliers aren't unlocked so there's not a lot you can to improve on the default 2.3GHz (3.3GHz with Turbo) clock speed.

It's not the only lower-power member of the family – there's also the 2500S. The S series of chips have slightly higher TDP of 65 Watts.

Simon Crisp