AMD Ryzen 5 6600U vs Intel Core i7-11700F Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data paints an unusually lopsided picture. Across the 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, the Intel Core i7-11700F claims 16 wins, while the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U manages a single victory. That one AMD win, however, is worth examining closely. In PassMark data encryption, the Ryzen 5 6600U scores 12783 against the Intel part's 12563, a 1.8% edge. This suggests the AMD processor's instruction handling or memory path gives it a slight advantage in cryptographic workloads, even when the overall compute performance leans heavily toward Intel.

The Intel Core i7-11700F dominates in rendering, general productivity, and math-heavy tasks. Its biggest margin comes in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it scores 17633 versus 9159.5 for the AMD chip, a 48.1% difference. That is a massive gap for workloads that scale across all cores. The single-core gap in the same test is also substantial: 2489 against 1456.5, a 41.5% deficit for AMD. This means even lightly threaded tasks like many legacy applications or certain simulation workloads will favor Intel by a wide margin.

For the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U, the realistic win scenario is narrow. It wins only one measured test, and its overall average benchmark score of 22897 is actually higher than the Intel part's 21988, despite losing nearly every head-to-head comparison. This apparent contradiction arises because the average includes a different set of tests for each CPU. The AMD chip also carries a Radeon 660M integrated GPU, while the Intel Core i7-11700F has no integrated graphics listed. In mobile or compact systems where a discrete GPU is not present, the AMD part is the only one of the two that can output video without an add-in card.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U uses the Zen 3+ architecture under the Rembrandt codename, built on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i7-11700F uses the Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. This process difference is significant: the AMD chip packs its 6 cores and 12 threads into a 208 mm² die, while Intel's 8 cores and 16 threads occupy a 276 mm² die. The smaller process node gives AMD a density advantage, though Intel compensates with two additional cores.

Core and thread counts differ as well. The AMD part has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel part has 8 cores and 16 threads. This two-core, four-thread advantage for Intel partially explains its multi-core benchmark superiority, but it does not fully account for the single-core gap. The Intel base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost of 4.90 GHz, while the AMD base clock is 2.90 GHz with a boost of 4.50 GHz. Intel's higher boost clock helps in short-duration single-threaded bursts.

Cache configurations show both similarities and differences. Each processor has 512 KB of L2 cache per core and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The L1 cache differs: AMD provides 64 KB per core, while Intel provides 80 KB per core. This gives Intel a modest cache bandwidth advantage in some workloads.

Memory support is a major divergence. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U supports DDR5 memory with a measured bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s, while the Intel Core i7-11700F supports DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s. Both run dual-channel memory buses. The AMD chip's higher theoretical memory bandwidth does not translate into benchmark victories in the recorded tests, suggesting that raw memory throughput is not the limiting factor in these workloads.

The TDP figures could hardly be more different. The AMD part is rated at 15W, a typical mobile processor envelope, while the Intel part is rated at 65W, a desktop-class power draw. This is the most consequential architectural difference for system design. The AMD processor targets thin-and-light laptops with its AMD Socket FP7, while the Intel processor targets desktop builds with Intel Socket 1200. The production status also differs: AMD lists the 6600U as active, while Intel lists the 11700F as end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R23 multi-core test delivers the largest measured gap between the two. Intel scores 17633, AMD scores 9159.5, giving Intel a 48.1% advantage. This is the clearest indicator of sustained all-core rendering performance. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows a smaller but still decisive gap: 1777 for Intel versus 1493 for AMD, a 16% difference. The R23 test's longer duration likely exposes the AMD chip's 15W power envelope more severely.

Single-core results are more nuanced but still favor Intel. In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel leads 2489 to 1456.5, a 41.5% margin. This is unusually large for a single-threaded comparison and suggests the Intel chip's 4.90 GHz boost clock combined with its Rocket Lake architecture delivers substantially higher per-thread performance. Geekbench single-core shows a narrower gap: 1891 versus 1673, an 11.5% difference. PassMark single-thread shows the smallest gap of any test: 3262 versus 3132, just 4%.

The PassMark suite reveals where the AMD chip holds up best relative to Intel. In data encryption, AMD wins 12783 to 12563, a 1.8% margin. In find prime numbers, the gap is 56 to 51, an 8.9% Intel advantage. In physics and single-thread tests, Intel leads by 6.8% and 4% respectively. These smaller margins suggest that in certain integer-heavy or cryptographic workloads, the AMD architecture competes more effectively.

Integer and floating-point math show clear Intel dominance. PassMark integer math sees Intel at 79133 against AMD's 61723, a 22% gap. Floating-point math shows Intel at 46307 against AMD's 33991, a 26.6% gap. Extended instructions favor Intel 18308 to 13356, a 27% difference. Random string sorting is one of the larger gaps: 30498 versus 21241, a 30.4% margin. Data compression also favors Intel at 266035 versus 201364, a 24.3% gap.

The 3DMark results are only recorded for the Intel processor, with scores of 943 for single-thread, 1816 for 2 threads, 3355 for 4 threads, 5513 for 8 threads, 7378 for 16 threads, and 7479 for max threads. No comparable AMD data exists in the database, so a direct comparison is not possible for that suite.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark comparisons?

A: The Intel Core i7-11700F wins 16 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U wins only the PassMark data encryption test, scoring 12783 versus 12563.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance gap?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel part scores 17633 against the AMD part's 9159.5, a 48.1% advantage. Geekbench multi-core shows a 31.6% gap, with Intel at 9680 and AMD at 6618.

Q: Is the AMD processor competitive in single-threaded workloads?

A: It is closer in some tests but still loses every recorded single-thread comparison. PassMark single-thread shows the smallest margin at 4%, with Intel scoring 3262 and AMD scoring 3132. Cinebench R23 single-core shows the largest margin at 41.5%.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U supports DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. The Intel Core i7-11700F supports DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: Do these processors have integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U includes a Radeon 660M integrated GPU. The Intel Core i7-11700F has no integrated graphics listed in the database.

Q: What are the power ratings?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U is rated at 15W TDP, while the Intel Core i7-11700F is rated at 65W TDP.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split by system type and workload. The Intel Core i7-11700F is the stronger processor for raw compute performance in nearly every measured category. Its 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with a 4.90 GHz boost clock, deliver decisive wins in rendering, math, compression, and general multi-threaded work. The 48.1% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and the 41.5% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core are not marginal differences; they represent a fundamentally higher performance tier. For desktop users running CPU-intensive applications, the Intel part is the clear choice based on the recorded benchmarks.

The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U tells a different story. Its single benchmark win in data encryption hints at architectural strengths in specific security workloads, but the broader picture is one of substantial performance deficits. However, the AMD chip operates at 15W TDP versus 65W for Intel, it includes a Radeon 660M integrated GPU, and it supports DDR5 memory with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. These factors matter for mobile or compact systems where power draw and integrated graphics are critical. The Intel processor cannot function without a discrete GPU, making it unsuitable for such builds.

The average benchmark scores complicate the picture. AMD's average of 22897 exceeds Intel's 21988, despite losing 16 of 17 head-to-head tests. This happens because the two CPUs do not share the same set of recorded benchmarks. The AMD chip's average includes its strong data compression and integer math scores, while the Intel chip's average includes additional 3DMark results that pull its mean downward. Buyers should rely on the direct head-to-head comparisons rather than the averages.

For users who need a desktop processor for maximum multi-core throughput, the Intel Core i7-11700F is the data-backed pick. For users who need a low-power mobile processor with integrated graphics, the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U is the only viable option between these two. The Intel part is also listed as end-of-life production status, while the AMD part remains active.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 6600U | Intel Core i7-11700F |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 6 | 8 |

| Threads | 12 | 16 |

| Base clock | 2.90 GHz | 2.50 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.50 GHz | 4.90 GHz |

| TDP | 15W | 65W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP7 | Intel Socket 1200 |

| Architecture | Zen 3+ | Rocket Lake |

| Codename | Rembrandt | Rocket Lake |

| Process node | 6 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Die size | 208 mm² | 276 mm² |

| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |

| L2 cache | 512 KB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 16 MB (shared) | 16 MB (shared) |

| Memory support | DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory bandwidth | 76.8 GB/s | 51.2 GB/s |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon 660M | None |

| Market segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | Not recorded | 2021-03-15 |

| Launch MSRP | Not recorded | $298 |

| Part number | 100-000000536100-000000548 | SRKNR |