Intel Core i5-11600K vs Intel Core i5-10600K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i5-11600K vs Intel Core i5-10600K tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, machine learning, video editing, streaming, rendering. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, VeraCrypt, 7zip, RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, Prime95, Furmark, Handbrake, Blender, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, PassMark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10600K 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%

Core i5-10600K

54%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-11600K is 3% better than Core i5-10600K. 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%

Core i5-10600K

55%

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 the cost of this processor reaches 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 summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.2	97.0
Valorant	108.1	110.2
Cyberpunk 2077	60.6	61.7
Apex Legends	101.6	103.6
Call of Duty Warzone	81.1	82.7
Overwatch	87.6	89.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.6	76.1
DOOM Eternal	54.1	55.1
Warzone	84.3	86.0
Assassin's Creed	90.8	92.6
Valheim	89.7	91.5

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 comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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

Core i5-11600K

43%

Core i5-10600K

39%

To make a finishing choice 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 Core i5-10600K since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the 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 find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i5-10600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	199	215
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1905	1615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	465	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4270	3629
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1213	1376
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11302	10379

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	2707	2967
Multi-Core	20616	14674

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	1621	1495
Multi-Core	7012	8815

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i5-10600K
Announcement date	January 20, 2021	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA1200
Core name	Rocket Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	10
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.1 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	5400 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	50 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	3 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-10600K is 4% better than Core i5-11600K 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10600K is better: 18
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-11600K and Intel Core i5-10600K before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-10600K specs and review.