Intel Core i5-11600K vs Intel Core i9-10900K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-11600K vs Intel Core i9-10900K and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step 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 like DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, RealBench, Handbrake, Prime95, AIDA64, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Blender, SuperPi, WPrime, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, 3DMark, UserBenchmark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

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 i9-10900K 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 i9-10900K

57%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10900K is 1% better than Core i5-11600K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-11600K

54%

Core i9-10900K

58%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, 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 final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, NBA 2K20, Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.2	102.7
Valorant	108.1	116.7
Cyberpunk 2077	60.6	65.3
Apex Legends	101.6	109.7
Call of Duty Warzone	81.1	87.5
Overwatch	87.6	94.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.6	80.5
DOOM Eternal	54.1	58.3
Warzone	84.3	91.0
Assassin's Creed	90.8	98.0
Valheim	89.7	96.8

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K 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 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%

Core i9-10900K

43%

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes 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 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 i9-10900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	199	234
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1905	2677
Cinbench 20 Single-core	465	539
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4270	6399
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1213	1418
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11302	17325

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i9-10900K
Single-Core	2707	3141
Multi-Core	20616	24010

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i9-10900K
Single-Core	1621	1617
Multi-Core	7012	14374

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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 the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i9-10900K
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	5.3 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	6	10
Threads	12	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	5400 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	50 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	3 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	20 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i5-11600K is 5% better than Core i9-10900K in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10900K has 4 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 Intel Core i5-11600K is better: 7
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10900K is better: 25
All the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-11600K and Intel Core i9-10900K before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10900K specs and review.