AMD Ryzen 5 7600 vs Intel Core i7-11700K Comparison
AMD Ryzen 5 7600
Core i7-11700K
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Ryzen 5 7600 vs Intel Core i7-11700K
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and Intel Core i7-11700K are desktop processors from different generations. The Ryzen 5 7600 is a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 part built on a 5 nm process, while the Core i7-11700K is an 8-core, 16-thread Rocket Lake chip on 14 nm. In the database's head-to-head tests, the Ryzen 5 7600 wins 14 of 23 benchmarks, and the Core i7-11700K wins 9. Both sit at the 78th percentile of all CPUs, but the Ryzen 5 7600 posts a higher average benchmark score of 26324 versus 25812 for the Intel part.
FAQ
Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?
A: The Intel Core i7-11700K has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 has 6 cores and 12 threads.
Q: Which CPU supports faster memory?
A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 supports DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The Intel Core i7-11700K uses DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s.
Q: Which has the higher boost clock?
A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 boosts to 5.10 GHz, slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-11700K's 5.00 GHz.
Q: Which wins the single-thread PassMark test?
A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 scores 3910, a 15.3% lead over the Intel Core i7-11700K's 3390.
Q: Which is stronger in Cinebench R23 multi-core?
A: The Intel Core i7-11700K scores 20666, which is 38.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7600's 12735.
Q: Which has the lower TDP?
A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 has a 65 W TDP, while the Intel Core i7-11700K is rated at 125 W.
Where Each One Wins
The recorded data shows a clear split. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 takes 14 wins, including all single-thread tests, Geekbench multi-core, PassMark multithread, physics, encryption, and prime number finding. The Intel Core i7-11700K takes 9 wins, dominated by 3DMark multi-thread tests, Cinebench R23, data compression, floating point math, integer math, and random string sorting. For everyday responsiveness and lightly threaded workloads, the Ryzen 5 7600 is the stronger pick. For heavily threaded rendering and math-heavy tasks, the Core i7-11700K holds the advantage.
Architecture Differences
The two chips come from different design philosophies. The Ryzen 5 7600 uses AMD's Zen 4 architecture on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 6,570 million transistors on a 71 mm² die. The Core i7-11700K uses Intel's Rocket Lake architecture on a 14 nm process, with no transistor or die size data recorded. The Ryzen 5 7600 has a 32 MB shared L3 cache, while the Core i7-11700K has 16 MB. Per-core L1 and L2 caches also differ: 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core on the AMD, versus 80 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core on the Intel. The AMD chip supports DDR5 memory, ECC, and PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes. The Intel chip uses DDR4, lacks ECC, and provides PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The integrated graphics differ as well: Radeon Graphics on the AMD, UHD Graphics 750 on the Intel. The Ryzen 5 7600 is an active product, while the Core i7-11700K is end-of-life.
Specification Differences
The specification table shows the key differences. The Ryzen 5 7600 has 6 cores and 12 threads, a base clock of 3.80 GHz, and a boost of 5.10 GHz. The Core i7-11700K has 8 cores and 16 threads, a base of 3.60 GHz, and a boost of 5.00 GHz. TDP is 65 W versus 125 W. Sockets are AM5 and Socket 1200. Process nodes are 5 nm and 14 nm. Memory support is DDR5 versus DDR4, with bandwidths of 83.2 GB/s and 51.2 GB/s. ECC is supported on the AMD but not on the Intel. PCIe is Gen 5 with 24 lanes on the AMD, Gen 4 with 20 lanes on the Intel. The AMD has a 32 MB L3 cache, the Intel has 16 MB. The AMD has a 71 mm² die size, the Intel has no recorded die size. The AMD has 6,570 million transistors, the Intel has no recorded count. The AMD was released on 2023-01-13, the Intel on 2021-03-15. The AMD had a launch MSRP of $229, the Intel had a launch MSRP of $399. Both have unlocked multipliers.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The biggest wins for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 come in prime number finding, where it scores 200 versus 66, a 203% advantage. In Geekbench single-core, it leads by 27.7% (2521 vs 1974). PassMark single-thread shows a 15.3% lead (3910 vs 3390). Physics is another strong area: 1776 versus 1039, a 70.9% lead. Data encryption is 13.2% ahead (17704 vs 15638). PassMark multithread is 10.9% ahead (27058 vs 24408). Cinebench R15 multi-core is 12.3% ahead (2339 vs 2082). The Intel Core i7-11700K counters with a 38.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core (20666 vs 12735) and a 36.5% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core (2917 vs 1852). In 3DMark 16-thread, Intel leads by 19.7% (8095 vs 6499), and in max-threads by 19.5% (8080 vs 6503). Integer math goes to Intel by 6.7% (86390 vs 80581), floating point by 5.9% (51119 vs 48107), data compression by 5.5% (322689 vs 304942), and random string sorting by 2.3% (36755 vs 35904).
The Verdict
The data points to two distinct use cases. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is the better choice for single-thread performance, lower power draw, and modern platform features like DDR5 and ECC. It also wins the overall average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-11700K, despite being older and on a larger process, still leads in heavily threaded workloads such as Cinebench R23 and 3DMark multi-thread, and in math-heavy tasks like integer and floating point. If you prioritize raw multi-thread rendering and have a workload that scales with 8 cores, the Core i7-11700K holds a clear edge. For general desktop use, gaming, and productivity that favors single-thread speed, the Ryzen 5 7600 is the stronger pick. The Ryzen 5 7600 also has a lower TDP and is an active product, while the Core i7-11700K is end-of-life.