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 i5-11260H

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 120W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,459 vs 34,293).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +110.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 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 i5-11260H needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $449 MSRP, while Core i5-11260H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌242.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 35W.

Core i5-11260H

2021

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 120W, a 85W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +110.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 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 i5-11260H needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,459 vs 34,293).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $449 MSRP, while Core i5-11260H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌242.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7800X3D better than Core i5-11260H?

Yes. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 110.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 121.8% 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 7 7800X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 110.0% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 96 MB vs 12 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better fit. You are getting 121.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is at an unclear MSRP at $449 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 110.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7800X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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 i5-11260H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	187 FPS	266 FPS
medium	153 FPS	247 FPS
high	126 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	258 FPS
medium	120 FPS	215 FPS
high	98 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	179 FPS
medium	73 FPS	149 FPS
high	58 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	362 FPS	857 FPS
medium	292 FPS	735 FPS
high	262 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	491 FPS
1440p
low	327 FPS	715 FPS
medium	268 FPS	607 FPS
high	246 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	396 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	393 FPS
medium	235 FPS	337 FPS
high	214 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	271 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	386 FPS	857 FPS
medium	386 FPS	857 FPS
high	386 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	857 FPS
1440p
low	386 FPS	857 FPS
medium	386 FPS	851 FPS
high	386 FPS	786 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	386 FPS	558 FPS
medium	373 FPS	479 FPS
high	312 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	386 FPS	857 FPS
medium	386 FPS	857 FPS
high	386 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	386 FPS	857 FPS
medium	386 FPS	760 FPS
high	386 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	386 FPS	618 FPS
medium	386 FPS	556 FPS
high	386 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	428 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11260H and Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Core i5-11260H

The Core i5-11260H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,459 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-11260H packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-11260H versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (base: 2.6 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core i5-11260H uses the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11260H scores 15,459 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 75.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11260H vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	4.4 GHz+69%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+700%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm SuperFin	5 nm-50%
Architecture	Tiger Lake-H (2021)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	15,459	34,293+122%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11260H uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-11260H	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	FCBGA1787	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 i5-11260H) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i5-11260H requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.