Intel Core i9-10900X vs Intel Core i5-11500

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-10900X vs Intel Core i5-11500 and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming, rendering. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Blender, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, PassMark, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, SuperPi, Furmark, WPrime, 3DMark, 7zip, RealBench, Prime95, Blender, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11500 or Intel Core i9-10900X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-10900X

56%

Core i5-11500

55%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10900X is 1% better than Core i5-11500. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10900X

57%

Core i5-11500

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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 small game result, just 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: Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Control, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.7	95.7
Valorant	114.4	108.8
Cyberpunk 2077	64.1	60.9
Apex Legends	107.5	102.3
Call of Duty Warzone	85.8	81.6
Overwatch	92.7	88.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.9	75.1
DOOM Eternal	57.2	54.4
Warzone	89.2	84.9
Assassin's Creed	96.1	91.4
Valheim	95.0	90.3

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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. 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 i9-10900X

24%

Core i5-11500

81%

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 i5-11500 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10900X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was 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 video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. 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. Since 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 i9-10900X	Intel Core i5-11500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	198	186
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2358	1783
Cinbench 20 Single-core	523	435
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6165	3994
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1143	1135
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14301	10572

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

	Intel Core i9-10900X	Intel Core i5-11500
Single-Core	2745	2532
Multi-Core	22786	19286

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

	Intel Core i9-10900X	Intel Core i5-11500
Single-Core	1237	1584
Multi-Core	12434	7583

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-10900X	Intel Core i5-11500
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1200
Core name	Cascade Lake	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	11
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	2.7 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI3	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	256 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	94 GB/s	50 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		3 MB
L3 cache	19.25 MB	12 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 i9-10900X is 27% better than Core i5-11500 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10900X has 4 more core than Core i5-11500. 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 i9-10900X is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11500 is better: 7
Although it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-10900X and Intel Core i5-11500 before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-10900X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i9-10900X specs and review.

Intel Core i5-11500 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-11500 specs and review.