PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-11600KF

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $283 less on MSRP ($237 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅Delivers 121.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 82.1 vs 37.1 PassMark/$ ($237 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌635.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 125W, a 108W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11600KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,274 vs 19,468).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.1 vs 82.1 PassMark/$ ($520 MSRP vs $237 MSRP).

Core i5-11600KF

2021

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $283 less on MSRP ($237 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅Delivers 121.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 82.1 vs 37.1 PassMark/$ ($237 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 125W, a 108W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌635.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11600KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,274 vs 19,468).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.1 vs 82.1 PassMark/$ ($520 MSRP vs $237 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-11600KF better than Core Ultra 7 266V?

Yes. Core i5-11600KF is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 12.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-11600KF is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.6% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-11600KF is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-11600KF is the smarter buy today. Core i5-11600KF is $283 cheaper on MSRP at $237 MSRP versus $520 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 121.6% better value on MSRP (82.1 vs 37.1 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core Ultra 7 266V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i5-11600KF Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 266V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11600KF	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	301 FPS	272 FPS
medium	263 FPS	243 FPS
high	221 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	247 FPS	230 FPS
medium	195 FPS	185 FPS
high	159 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	161 FPS
medium	136 FPS	130 FPS
high	105 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-11600KF Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11600KF	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	476 FPS	233 FPS
medium	380 FPS	195 FPS
high	338 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	155 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	208 FPS
medium	332 FPS	181 FPS
high	301 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	262 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	339 FPS	153 FPS
medium	279 FPS	138 FPS
high	254 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	214 FPS	114 FPS

Open Core i5-11600KF Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11600KF	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	487 FPS	482 FPS
medium	487 FPS	482 FPS
high	487 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	482 FPS
1440p
low	487 FPS	482 FPS
medium	487 FPS	482 FPS
high	487 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	451 FPS	468 FPS
4K
low	487 FPS	482 FPS
medium	456 FPS	462 FPS
high	390 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core i5-11600KF Open Core Ultra 7 266V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11600KF	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	487 FPS	482 FPS
medium	487 FPS	482 FPS
high	487 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	482 FPS
1440p
low	487 FPS	482 FPS
medium	487 FPS	482 FPS
high	487 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	482 FPS
4K
low	487 FPS	482 FPS
medium	487 FPS	482 FPS
high	487 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	418 FPS

Open Core i5-11600KF Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11600KF and Core Ultra 7 266V

Core i5-11600KF

The Core i5-11600KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,468 points. Launch price was $299.

Core Ultra 7 266V

The Core Ultra 7 266V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,274 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-11600KF packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 266V offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core Ultra 7 266V has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-11600KF versus 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 266V — a 2% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 266V (base: 3.9 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i5-11600KF uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11600KF scores 19,468 against the Core Ultra 7 266V's 19,274 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-11600KF. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-11600KF	Core Ultra 7 266V
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 8+33%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.9 GHz+77%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+900%
Process	14 nm	3 nm-79%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	19,468+1%	19,274
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,277	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,138	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,631	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11600KF uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-11600KF	Core Ultra 7 266V
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-11600KF) / not specified (Core Ultra 7 266V). Primary use case: Core i5-11600KF targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-11600KF rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-11600KF	Core Ultra 7 266V
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-11600KF launched at $237 MSRP, while the Core Ultra 7 266V debuted at $520. On MSRP ($237 vs $520), the Core i5-11600KF is $283 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-11600KF delivers 82.1 pts/$ vs 37.1 pts/$ for the Core Ultra 7 266V — making the Core i5-11600KF the 75.6% better value option.