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

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-10900X vs Intel Core i5-11600K and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, machine learning, video editing, programming. Here you can find all information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as 3DMark, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Handbrake, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, MATLAB, Gears 5, RealBench, Prime95, AIDA64, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, 7zip, Blender.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11600K 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 i5-11600K

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10900X

57%

Core i5-11600K

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.7	95.2
Valorant	114.4	108.1
Cyberpunk 2077	64.1	60.6
Apex Legends	107.5	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	85.8	81.1
Overwatch	92.7	87.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.9	74.6
DOOM Eternal	57.2	54.1
Warzone	89.2	84.3
Assassin's Creed	96.1	90.8
Valheim	95.0	89.7

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 i9-10900X

24%

Core i5-11600K

43%

To make a final decision 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 i9-10900X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 125W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor includes 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 i5-11600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	198	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2358	1905
Cinbench 20 Single-core	523	465
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6165	4270
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1143	1213
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14301	11302

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

	Intel Core i9-10900X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	2745	2707
Multi-Core	22786	20616

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

	Intel Core i9-10900X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	1237	1621
Multi-Core	12434	7012

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 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 even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-10900X	Intel Core i5-11600K
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	4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.9 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	125 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 i5-11600K is 5% better than Core i9-10900X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10900X 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 i9-10900X is better: 25
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600K is better: 10
Although it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-10900X and Intel Core i5-11600K before making a decision which of the CPUs 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 i5-11600K specs and review.