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 i9-11900KF

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,585 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 47.9 vs 61.7 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅+12.7% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $64 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 28.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.7 vs 47.9 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11900KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i9-11900KF

2021

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+12.7% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $64 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 28.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.7 vs 47.9 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,585 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 47.9 vs 61.7 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11900KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5800X better than Core i9-11900KF?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-11900KF is ahead with a 5.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5800X pulls ahead with 12.7% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 5800X 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 7 5800X is the better fit. You are getting 12.7% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 5800X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5800X is $64 cheaper on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $513 MSRP, and it gives you 12.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-11900KF is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 5.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 28.8% better value on MSRP (61.7 vs 47.9 PassMark/$), 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 i9-11900KF 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 i9-11900KF 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 i9-11900KF Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	295 FPS	206 FPS
medium	261 FPS	178 FPS
high	220 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	242 FPS	170 FPS
medium	192 FPS	142 FPS
high	157 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	167 FPS	83 FPS
medium	135 FPS	74 FPS
high	104 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	615 FPS	662 FPS
medium	527 FPS	558 FPS
high	457 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	601 FPS	563 FPS
medium	490 FPS	493 FPS
high	422 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	362 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	401 FPS	350 FPS
medium	339 FPS	308 FPS
high	320 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	250 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	615 FPS	693 FPS
medium	615 FPS	651 FPS
high	615 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	563 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	693 FPS
medium	615 FPS	573 FPS
high	543 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	464 FPS	413 FPS
4K
low	577 FPS	484 FPS
medium	480 FPS	410 FPS
high	427 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 7 5800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	615 FPS	693 FPS
medium	615 FPS	693 FPS
high	615 FPS	693 FPS
ultra	615 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	693 FPS
medium	615 FPS	693 FPS
high	615 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	615 FPS	593 FPS
4K
low	615 FPS	604 FPS
medium	565 FPS	550 FPS
high	512 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	436 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-11900KF and Ryzen 7 5800X

Core i9-11900KF

The Core i9-11900KF 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 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 24,585 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 5800X

The Ryzen 7 5800X 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 27,712 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i9-11900KF and Ryzen 7 5800X share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-11900KF versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5800X — a 10.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900KF (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i9-11900KF uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-11900KF scores 24,585 against the Ryzen 7 5800X's 27,712 — a 12% lead for the Ryzen 7 5800X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900KF vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 7 5800X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+11%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB+100%
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	24,585	27,712+13%
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,500	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-11900KF uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 5800X 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 i9-11900KF) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 5800X) — the Ryzen 7 5800X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z590,B560 (Core i9-11900KF) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 5800X).

Feature	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 7 5800X
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

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-11900KF supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-11900KF) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5800X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5800X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 7 5800X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-11900KF launched at $513 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 5800X debuted at $449. On MSRP ($513 vs $449), the Ryzen 7 5800X is $64 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-11900KF delivers 47.9 pts/$ vs 61.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 5800X — making the Ryzen 7 5800X the 25.2% better value option.