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 i5-11600K

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $37 less on MSRP ($262 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,520 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 74.5 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($262 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 27.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 74.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $262 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.
✅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

❌
14.1% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$262 MSRP

Core i5-11600K

2021

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $37 less on MSRP ($262 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 27.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 74.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $262 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.
✅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

❌Lower PassMark (19,520 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 74.5 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($262 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌
14.1% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$262 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Core i5-11600K?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 0.1% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data, 45.1% better 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 0.1% more average FPS across 45 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 45.1% 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 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is 14.1% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $262 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.1% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 27.2% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 74.5 PassMark/$), 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 i5-11600K 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 i5-11600K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11600K	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	301 FPS	266 FPS
medium	263 FPS	246 FPS
high	221 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	247 FPS	226 FPS
medium	195 FPS	189 FPS
high	159 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	157 FPS
medium	136 FPS	131 FPS
high	105 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i5-11600K Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11600K	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	480 FPS	649 FPS
medium	380 FPS	524 FPS
high	338 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	413 FPS	544 FPS
medium	332 FPS	455 FPS
high	301 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	262 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	343 FPS	341 FPS
medium	279 FPS	290 FPS
high	254 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	214 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i5-11600K Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11600K	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	652 FPS
high	488 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	554 FPS
high	488 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	451 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	463 FPS
medium	456 FPS	392 FPS
high	390 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i5-11600K Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11600K	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	708 FPS
high	488 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	708 FPS
high	488 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	560 FPS
medium	488 FPS	502 FPS
high	488 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i5-11600K Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11600K and Ryzen 5 7600X

Core i5-11600K

The Core i5-11600K 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. Passmark benchmark score: 19,520 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 i5-11600K and Ryzen 5 7600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-11600K versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 7.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 3.9 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i5-11600K 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 i5-11600K scores 19,520 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 36.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11600K vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i5-11600K	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.3 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.9 GHz	4.7 GHz+21%
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	19,520	28,325+45%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	13,800

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11600K 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 i5-11600K 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 i5-11600K) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 500 series,Intel 400 series (Core i5-11600K) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	Core i5-11600K	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

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-11600K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 750 (Core i5-11600K) 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 i5-11600K targets Desktop, Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core i5-11600K	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 750	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-11600K launched at $262 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($262 vs $299), the Core i5-11600K is $37 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-11600K delivers 74.5 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 23.9% better value option.