AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i5-11600K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Intel Core i5-11600K tests and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, machine learning, programming, streaming. Here you can find useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Prime95, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, Gears 5, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, Blender, Handbrake, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Furmark, 7zip, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Borderlands 3
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Grand Theft Auto V
Watch Dogs Legion
Valheim
Overwatch
Apex Legends
Fallout 76
DOOM: Eternal
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Rainbow Six Siege
Fortnite
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Cyberpunk 2077
Red Dead Redemption 2
Halo Infinite
Last Man Standing
Valorant
Death Stranding

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11600K or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

58%

Core i5-11600K

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper 2990X is 3% better than Core i5-11600K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

60%

Core i5-11600K

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	95.2
Valorant	120.5	108.1
Cyberpunk 2077	67.5	60.6
Apex Legends	113.3	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	90.4	81.1
Overwatch	97.6	87.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	74.6
DOOM Eternal	60.2	54.1
Warzone	94.0	84.3
Assassin's Creed	101.2	90.8
Valheim	100.0	89.7

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

15%

Core i5-11600K

43%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-11600K is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 2990X since it has less power consumption: 250W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2982	1905
Cinbench 20 Single-core	410	465
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6721	4270
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1033	1213
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18752	11302

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	2262	2707
Multi-Core	26548	20616

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	1125	1621
Multi-Core	17679	7012

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Announcement date	August 13, 2018	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	TR4	FCLGA1200
Core name	Colfax	Rocket Lake
Architecture	Zen+	x86
Generation	2	11
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	32	6
Threads	64	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	12 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	18800 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	250 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2933	3200
Memory bandwidth		50 GB/s
L1 cache	3MB
L2 cache	16MB	3 MB
L3 cache	64MB	12 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YD299XAZUIHAF YD299XAZAFWOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-11600K is 12% better than Ryzen Threadripper 2990X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 2990X has 26 more core than Core i5-11600K. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600K is better: 15
However, it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X and Intel Core i5-11600K before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.