Intel Core i5-11600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-11600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500X and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, WPrime, MATLAB, Prime95, UserBenchmark, Furmark, Handbrake, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, Blender, RealBench, PassMark, Gears 5.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3500X or Intel Core i5-11600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-11600K

56%

Ryzen 5 3500X

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-11600K is 3% better than Ryzen 5 3500X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-11600K

54%

Ryzen 5 3500X

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.2	94.1
Valorant	108.1	106.9
Cyberpunk 2077	60.6	59.9
Apex Legends	101.6	100.5
Call of Duty Warzone	81.1	80.2
Overwatch	87.6	86.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.6	73.8
DOOM Eternal	54.1	53.5
Warzone	84.3	83.4
Assassin's Creed	90.8	89.8
Valheim	89.7	88.7

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-11600K

43%

Ryzen 5 3500X

65%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 3500X is more energy efficient than the Core i5-11600K as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve 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 software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages 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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	199	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1905	1129
Cinbench 20 Single-core	465	464
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4270	2652
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1213	1126
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11302	7797

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Single-Core	2707	2562
Multi-Core	20616	13476

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Single-Core	1621	1272
Multi-Core	7012	5963

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-11600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Announcement date	January 20, 2021	September 24, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	AM4
Core name	Rocket Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	11	3
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	6
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	5400 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth	50 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache	3 MB	3MB
L3 cache	12 MB	32MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000158 100-100000158CBX 100-100000158MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-11600K is 7% better than Ryzen 5 3500X in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600K is better: 30
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3500X is better: 6
Although it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-11600K and AMD Ryzen 5 3500X before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500X specs and review.