Core i5-11600 vs Ryzen 7 7730U

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 i5-11600

2021

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Ryzen 7 7730U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 7730U.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $213 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7730U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 7730U

2023

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,748 vs 17,912).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11600.

Core i5-11600

2021

Ryzen 7 7730U

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Ryzen 7 7730U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 7730U.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $213 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7730U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,748 vs 17,912).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11600.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-11600 better than Ryzen 7 7730U?

Yes. Core i5-11600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.9% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-11600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-11600 is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-11600 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-11600 is at an unclear MSRP at $213 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (84.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 7 7730U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021) and 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB). 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 i5-11600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7730U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 7730U
1080p
low	292 FPS	169 FPS
medium	258 FPS	146 FPS
high	217 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	239 FPS	146 FPS
medium	191 FPS	124 FPS
high	156 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	80 FPS
medium	134 FPS	73 FPS
high	104 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 7 7730U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 7730U
1080p
low	448 FPS	223 FPS
medium	370 FPS	190 FPS
high	334 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	148 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	192 FPS
medium	325 FPS	170 FPS
high	296 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	335 FPS	132 FPS
medium	275 FPS	120 FPS
high	252 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 7 7730U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 7730U
1080p
low	448 FPS	444 FPS
medium	448 FPS	444 FPS
high	448 FPS	444 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	424 FPS
1440p
low	448 FPS	444 FPS
medium	448 FPS	431 FPS
high	448 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	322 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	371 FPS
medium	420 FPS	314 FPS
high	360 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	218 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 7 7730U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 7730U
1080p
low	448 FPS	444 FPS
medium	448 FPS	444 FPS
high	448 FPS	444 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	444 FPS
1440p
low	448 FPS	444 FPS
medium	448 FPS	444 FPS
high	448 FPS	444 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	444 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	444 FPS
medium	448 FPS	444 FPS
high	448 FPS	402 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	344 FPS

Open Core i5-11600 Open Ryzen 7 7730U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11600 and Ryzen 7 7730U

Core i5-11600

The Core i5-11600 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 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 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: 17,912 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 7730U

The Ryzen 7 7730U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo-U Refresh (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,748 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-11600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7730U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7730U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i5-11600 versus 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7730U — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-11600 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-11600 uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7730U uses Barcelo-U Refresh (2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11600 scores 17,912 against the Ryzen 7 7730U's 17,748 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i5-11600. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11600 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7730U.

Feature	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 7730U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+7%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+40%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Barcelo-U Refresh (2023)
PassMark	17,912	17,748
Cinebench R23 Multi	10,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,130	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,000	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11600 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 7730U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 7730U
Socket	LGA1200	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-11600) / not specified (Ryzen 7 7730U). The Core i5-11600 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 750), while the Ryzen 7 7730U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11600 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-11600 rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.