Intel Core i7-11700K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-11700K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, rendering, machine learning, programming, video editing. Here you can find useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis 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 special testing software such as Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, 3DMark, PCMark 10, PassMark, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, AIDA64, Gears 5, Blender, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, SuperPi, 7zip, Prime95, Furmark, MATLAB.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel Core i7-11700K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-11700K

58%

Ryzen 5 3600X

55%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-11700K is 5% better than Ryzen 5 3600X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-11700K

56%

Ryzen 5 3600X

54%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small 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: Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Metro Exodus, DOTA 2A, League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.2	96.0
Valorant	113.8	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	63.7	61.1
Apex Legends	107.0	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	85.4	81.9
Overwatch	92.2	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.5	75.3
DOOM Eternal	56.9	54.6
Warzone	88.8	85.1
Assassin's Creed	95.6	91.7
Valheim	94.5	90.6

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-11700K

47%

Ryzen 5 3600X

47%

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software 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 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 i7-11700K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	262	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2507	1647
Cinbench 20 Single-core	612	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5618	3751
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1596	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14869	9588

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

	Intel Core i7-11700K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	3562	2651
Multi-Core	27126	18377

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

	Intel Core i7-11700K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1793	1341
Multi-Core	11929	7891

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 i7-11700K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Announcement date	January 20, 2021	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	AM4
Core name	Rocket Lake-S	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	11	3
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate	12 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	8200 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth	64 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache	4 MB	3MB
L3 cache	16 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 5% better than Core i7-11700K in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-11700K has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 3600X. 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 i7-11700K is better: 31
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is better: 5
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-11700K and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-11700K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.