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).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7600X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,883 vs 15,300).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.5% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
55.7% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$192 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11500.

Core i5-11500

2021

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $107 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7600X.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.5% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,883 vs 15,300).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌
55.7% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$192 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11500.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Core i5-11500?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.5% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data, 54.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 65.7% 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, Ryzen 5 7600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.5% 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 7600X is the better fit. You are getting 54.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is 55.7% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $192 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.5% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 6.4% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 89.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play 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?

Ryzen 5 7600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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 i5-11500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	189 FPS	266 FPS
medium	154 FPS	246 FPS
high	127 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	226 FPS
medium	120 FPS	189 FPS
high	98 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	157 FPS
medium	73 FPS	131 FPS
high	59 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	427 FPS	649 FPS
medium	359 FPS	524 FPS
high	324 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	282 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	400 FPS	544 FPS
medium	324 FPS	455 FPS
high	295 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	334 FPS	341 FPS
medium	274 FPS	290 FPS
high	251 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	427 FPS	708 FPS
medium	427 FPS	652 FPS
high	427 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	708 FPS
medium	427 FPS	554 FPS
high	427 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	463 FPS
medium	346 FPS	392 FPS
high	302 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	427 FPS	708 FPS
medium	427 FPS	708 FPS
high	427 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	708 FPS
medium	427 FPS	708 FPS
high	427 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	560 FPS
medium	427 FPS	502 FPS
high	427 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	415 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11500 and Ryzen 5 7600X

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 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-11500 and Ryzen 5 7600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-11500 versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 14.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 2.7 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i5-11500 uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11500 scores 17,096 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 49.4% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,883 vs 15,300 (43% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,064 vs 2,900, a 33.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,564 vs 13,800 (46.8% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11500 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.3 GHz+15%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	4.7 GHz+74%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	6 MB+2300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	17,096	28,325+66%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,883	15,300+55%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,064	2,900+41%
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,564	13,800+61%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11500 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-11500 versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 7600X — the Ryzen 5 7600X supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-11500) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H510,B560,Z590,H470,Z490 (Core i5-11500) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	LGA1200	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 7600X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-11500) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). Both include integrated graphics — UHD 750 (Core i5-11500) and AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core) (Ryzen 5 7600X) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11500 targets Gaming, Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-11500 rivals Ryzen 5 5600X; Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD 750	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-11500 launched at $192 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X 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 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 6.2% better value option.