Core i5-11260H vs Ryzen 5 5600X

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 i5-11260H

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,459 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i5-11260H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i5-11260H

2021

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,459 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i5-11260H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i5-11260H?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 18.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 41.3% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.0% 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, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 41.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 18.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-11260H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i5-11260H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	187 FPS	203 FPS
medium	153 FPS	174 FPS
high	126 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	169 FPS
medium	120 FPS	141 FPS
high	98 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	85 FPS
medium	73 FPS	76 FPS
high	58 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	358 FPS	464 FPS
medium	292 FPS	387 FPS
high	262 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	397 FPS
medium	268 FPS	334 FPS
high	246 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	278 FPS	263 FPS
medium	235 FPS	226 FPS
high	214 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	386 FPS	546 FPS
medium	386 FPS	473 FPS
high	386 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	386 FPS	508 FPS
medium	386 FPS	413 FPS
high	386 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	386 FPS	348 FPS
medium	373 FPS	292 FPS
high	312 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	386 FPS	546 FPS
medium	386 FPS	546 FPS
high	386 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	386 FPS	546 FPS
medium	386 FPS	546 FPS
high	386 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	386 FPS	529 FPS
medium	386 FPS	484 FPS
high	386 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11260H and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i5-11260H

The Core i5-11260H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,459 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-11260H and Ryzen 5 5600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-11260H versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i5-11260H uses the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11260H scores 15,459 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 34.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11260H vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.6 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+42%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB+167%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	10 nm SuperFin	7 nm, 12 nm-30%
Architecture	Tiger Lake-H (2021)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	15,459	21,845+41%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11260H uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.