Intel Core i5-11600K vs Intel Core i9-10980XE

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-11600K vs Intel Core i9-10980XE and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, SuperPi, Gears 5, 3DMark, WPrime, Handbrake, Prime95, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, PCMark 10, Blender, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, PassMark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10980XE 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 i9-10980XE

60%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10980XE is 6% 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 i9-10980XE

61%

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 the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.2	108.7
Valorant	108.1	123.5
Cyberpunk 2077	60.6	69.2
Apex Legends	101.6	116.1
Call of Duty Warzone	81.1	92.6
Overwatch	87.6	100.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.6	85.2
DOOM Eternal	54.1	61.8
Warzone	84.3	96.3
Assassin's Creed	90.8	103.7
Valheim	89.7	102.5

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 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 i9-10980XE

28%

To make a finishing choice 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 Core i5-11600K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10980XE since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out 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 can use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i9-10980XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	199	211
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1905	3800
Cinbench 20 Single-core	465	480
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4270	8848
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1213	1191
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11302	24309

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i9-10980XE
Single-Core	2707	2626
Multi-Core	20616	34005

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

	Intel Core i5-11600K	Intel Core i9-10980XE
Single-Core	1621	1417
Multi-Core	7012	20280

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that 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 i9-10980XE
Announcement date	January 20, 2021	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA2066
Core name	Rocket Lake	Cascade Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	10
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	6	18
Threads	12	36
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	5400 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	256 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	50 GB/s	94 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	3 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	24.75 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 i5-11600K is 23% better than Core i9-10980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10980XE has 12 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: 10
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10980XE is better: 26
Although it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-11600K and Intel Core i9-10980XE before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10980XE specs and review.