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 i5-11500

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $107 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 21.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Ryzen 5 5600X needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,096 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11500.

Core i5-11500

2021

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $107 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 21.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Ryzen 5 5600X needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,096 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11500.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i5-11500?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.1% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data and 27.8% 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 5.1% more average FPS across 47 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 27.8% 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 still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-11500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 5600X is 55.7% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $192 MSRP, and it gives you a 5.1% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-11500 is also 21.9% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 73.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-11500 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 i5-11500 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 i5-11500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	189 FPS	203 FPS
medium	154 FPS	174 FPS
high	127 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	169 FPS
medium	120 FPS	141 FPS
high	98 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	85 FPS
medium	73 FPS	76 FPS
high	59 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	427 FPS	464 FPS
medium	359 FPS	387 FPS
high	324 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	282 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	400 FPS	397 FPS
medium	324 FPS	334 FPS
high	295 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	334 FPS	263 FPS
medium	274 FPS	226 FPS
high	251 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	427 FPS	546 FPS
medium	427 FPS	473 FPS
high	427 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	508 FPS
medium	427 FPS	413 FPS
high	427 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	348 FPS
medium	346 FPS	292 FPS
high	302 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	427 FPS	546 FPS
medium	427 FPS	546 FPS
high	427 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	546 FPS
medium	427 FPS	546 FPS
high	427 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	529 FPS
medium	427 FPS	484 FPS
high	427 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	415 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11500 and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i5-11500

The Core i5-11500 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 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 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: 17,096 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 i5-11500 and Ryzen 5 5600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-11500 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.7 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i5-11500 uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11500 scores 17,096 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 24.4% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11500 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	3.7 GHz+37%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	17,096	21,845+28%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,883	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,064	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,564	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11500 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X 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 i5-11500) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) — the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H510,B560,Z590,H470,Z490 (Core i5-11500) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X).

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 5600X
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	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 5600X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i5-11500 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-11500) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). The Core i5-11500 includes integrated graphics (UHD 750), while the Ryzen 5 5600X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11500 targets Gaming, Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-11500 rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD 750	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-11500 launched at $192 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($192 vs $299), the Core i5-11500 is $107 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-11500 delivers 89.0 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Core i5-11500 the 19.7% better value option.