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 i5-11600

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌
7% HIGHER MSRP
$213 MSRPvs$199 MSRP

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $14 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $213 MSRP).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,500 vs 10,500).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-11600

2021

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $14 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $213 MSRP).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌
7% HIGHER MSRP
$213 MSRPvs$199 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,500 vs 10,500).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-11600 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Yes. Core i5-11600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 10.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 1.3% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-11600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.8% 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 i5-11600 is the better fit. You are getting 10.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-11600 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i5-11600 is 7.0% more expensive on MSRP at $213 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 5.7% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 84.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 3600 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core i5-11600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-11600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	292 FPS	200 FPS
medium	258 FPS	161 FPS
high	217 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	239 FPS	154 FPS
medium	191 FPS	119 FPS
high	156 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	70 FPS
medium	134 FPS	58 FPS
high	104 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	448 FPS	442 FPS
medium	370 FPS	404 FPS
high	334 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	420 FPS
medium	325 FPS	359 FPS
high	296 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	332 FPS	297 FPS
medium	275 FPS	259 FPS
high	252 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	201 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	448 FPS	442 FPS
medium	448 FPS	442 FPS
high	448 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	448 FPS	442 FPS
medium	448 FPS	442 FPS
high	448 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	442 FPS
medium	420 FPS	361 FPS
high	360 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 5 3600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	448 FPS	442 FPS
medium	448 FPS	442 FPS
high	448 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	448 FPS	442 FPS
medium	448 FPS	442 FPS
high	448 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	442 FPS
medium	448 FPS	442 FPS
high	448 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	357 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11600 and Ryzen 5 3600

Core i5-11600

The Core i5-11600 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 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 17,912 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-11600 and Ryzen 5 3600 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i5-11600 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-11600 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-11600 uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11600 scores 17,912 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i5-11600. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 10,500 vs 9,500 (10% advantage for the Core i5-11600). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,130 vs 1,295, a 48.8% lead for the Core i5-11600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,000 vs 1,898 (123.3% advantage for the Core i5-11600). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11600 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+14%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.6 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	17,912+1%	17,685
Cinebench R23 Multi	10,500+11%	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,130+64%	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,000+321%	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11600 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-11600) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) — the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H470,Z490,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-11600) and AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600).

Feature	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 5 3600
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 3600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i5-11600 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-11600) vs Yes (Ryzen 5 3600). The Core i5-11600 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 750), while the Ryzen 5 3600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11600 targets Gaming, Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-11600 rivals Ryzen 5 5600X; Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 5 3600
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 750	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Gaming	Gaming/Budget Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-11600 launched at $213 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($213 vs $199), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $14 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-11600 delivers 84.1 pts/$ vs 88.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3600 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 5.5% better value option.