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 i9-11900F

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,052 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅+28.4% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while Core i9-11900F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11900F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-11900F mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Core i9-11900F

2021

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+28.4% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while Core i9-11900F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,052 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11900F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-11900F mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Core i9-11900F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-11900F is ahead with a 4.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 7600X pulls ahead with 28.4% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 7600X also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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 28.4% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 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 at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 28.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-11900F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i9-11900F 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, 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i9-11900F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-11900F	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	286 FPS	266 FPS
medium	256 FPS	246 FPS
high	217 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	226 FPS
medium	189 FPS	189 FPS
high	155 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	157 FPS
medium	133 FPS	131 FPS
high	103 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i9-11900F Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-11900F	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	551 FPS	649 FPS
medium	507 FPS	524 FPS
high	442 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	390 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	551 FPS	544 FPS
medium	473 FPS	455 FPS
high	407 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	346 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	386 FPS	341 FPS
medium	328 FPS	290 FPS
high	309 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i9-11900F Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-11900F	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	551 FPS	708 FPS
medium	551 FPS	652 FPS
high	551 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	551 FPS	708 FPS
medium	551 FPS	554 FPS
high	504 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	463 FPS
medium	445 FPS	392 FPS
high	396 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i9-11900F Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-11900F	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	551 FPS	708 FPS
medium	551 FPS	708 FPS
high	551 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	551 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	551 FPS	708 FPS
medium	551 FPS	708 FPS
high	551 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	551 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	551 FPS	560 FPS
medium	551 FPS	502 FPS
high	503 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i9-11900F Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-11900F and Ryzen 5 7600X

Core i9-11900F

The Core i9-11900F 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 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: 22,052 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

The Core i9-11900F packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-11900F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-11900F versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 3.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 2.5 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i9-11900F 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 i9-11900F scores 22,052 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 24.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900F vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i9-11900F	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz	5.3 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	4.7 GHz+88%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+100%
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	22,052	28,325+28%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	13,800

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-11900F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-11900F	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	LGA1200	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-11900F) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i9-11900F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.