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 i5-11500

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $137 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 72.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 51.5 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

2018

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11500 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,500 vs 9,883).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 51.5 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-11500

2021

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $137 less on MSRP ($192 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 72.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 51.5 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11500 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,500 vs 9,883).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 51.5 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-11500 better than Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X?

Yes. Core i5-11500 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 3.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 0.8% higher 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, Core i5-11500 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.2% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-11500 is the better fit. You are getting 4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-11500 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-11500 is $137 cheaper on MSRP at $192 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 72.7% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 51.5 PassMark/$), 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 AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Core i5-11500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-11500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	189 FPS	223 FPS
medium	154 FPS	191 FPS
high	127 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	113 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	183 FPS
medium	120 FPS	150 FPS
high	98 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	71 FPS
medium	73 FPS	63 FPS
high	59 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	427 FPS	346 FPS
medium	359 FPS	305 FPS
high	324 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	282 FPS	240 FPS
1440p
low	400 FPS	316 FPS
medium	324 FPS	285 FPS
high	295 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	218 FPS
4K
low	334 FPS	232 FPS
medium	274 FPS	213 FPS
high	251 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	170 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	427 FPS	424 FPS
medium	427 FPS	424 FPS
high	427 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	424 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	424 FPS
medium	427 FPS	424 FPS
high	427 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	340 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	391 FPS
medium	346 FPS	323 FPS
high	302 FPS	284 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	228 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	427 FPS	424 FPS
medium	427 FPS	424 FPS
high	427 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	424 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	424 FPS
medium	427 FPS	424 FPS
high	427 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	424 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	424 FPS
medium	427 FPS	424 FPS
high	427 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	415 FPS	359 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11500 and Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

Core i5-11500

The Core i5-11500 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 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 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: 17,096 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

The Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 16,959 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-11500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-11500 versus 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X — a 11.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-11500 (base: 2.7 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-11500 uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11500 scores 17,096 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X's 16,959 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i5-11500. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,883 vs 9,500 (4% advantage for the Core i5-11500). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,064 vs 1,255, a 48.7% lead for the Core i5-11500 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,564 vs 6,243 (31.4% advantage for the Core i5-11500). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11500 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+12%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	3.6 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	17,096	16,959
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,883+4%	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,064+64%	1,255
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,564+37%	6,243

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11500 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — 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. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H510,B560,Z590,H470,Z490 (Core i5-11500) and X470,B450,X370,B350,A320 (Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X).

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i5-11500 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-11500) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X). The Core i5-11500 includes integrated graphics (UHD 750), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11500 targets Gaming, Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-11500 rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD 750	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-11500 launched at $192 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($192 vs $329), the Core i5-11500 is $137 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-11500 delivers 89.0 pts/$ vs 51.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X — making the Core i5-11500 the 53.3% better value option.