AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D vs Intel Core i5-11500 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D wins every single recorded comparison, 17 wins to 0. The Intel Core i5-11500 is a solid 6-core, 12-thread desktop chip from the Rocket Lake generation, but the Ryzen 5 7600X3D outperforms it by roughly one-third in most Cinebench workloads and by even larger margins in several PassMark tests.

The Intel Core i5-11500 is the older, slower part. It was released in March 2021, uses the 14 nm process, and caps out at a 4.60 GHz boost clock. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D arrived in August 2024 on the 5 nm process, boosts to 4.70 GHz, and carries a massive 96 MB of shared L3 cache. The data shows the Ryzen leading by 33.3% in Cinebench R23 multi-core (21758 vs 14513) and by 33.3% in single-core (3071 vs 2049).

Who should pick which? If you are building a new system today and the data is your guide, the Ryzen 5 7600X3D is the clear choice. It wins every recorded benchmark, sits at the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and has an average benchmark score of 24728. The Intel chip sits at the 76th percentile with an average score of 23718. That is a narrow overall gap, but the head-to-head results are not narrow at all.

The Intel Core i5-11500 is only worth considering if you already own an LGA 1200 motherboard and want a cheap drop-in upgrade. Its launch MSRP was $192. The Ryzen 5 7600X3D launched at $299. But the performance gap is so consistent that the Ryzen is the sensible pick for new builds, especially given its active production status versus the Intel part being end-of-life.

The Ryzen 5 7600X3D also supports ECC memory, which the Intel chip does not. It uses DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, nearly double the Intel part's 51.2 GB/s. It offers PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes, while the Intel chip offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. For any workload that touches memory or cache, the Ryzen is the better buy.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and different process technologies. The Intel Core i5-11500 is built on Intel's 14 nm process, uses the Rocket Lake architecture, and fits the Intel Socket 1200. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D uses TSMC's 5 nm process, the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture, and fits the AMD Socket AM5.

Transistor counts and die sizes tell part of the story. The Ryzen 5 7600X3D packs 11,270 million transistors on a 71 mm² die. The Intel chip's transistor count is not recorded, but its die size is 276 mm². The Intel part is physically larger while being far less efficient per unit area.

Cache configuration is a major differentiator. The Intel Core i5-11500 has 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. The Ryzen 5 7600X3D has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 96 MB of shared L3. That 96 MB L3 is eight times the Intel chip's shared cache. This large cache pool is the defining architectural feature of the X3D lineup and explains why the Ryzen wins every benchmark that is cache-sensitive.

Memory architecture differs completely. The Intel chip supports DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Ryzen supports DDR5 on a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Ryzen also supports ECC memory; the Intel part does not.

PCIe connectivity differs by a full generation. The Intel Core i5-11500 provides PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes. The Ryzen 5 7600X3D provides PCIe Gen 5 with 24 CPU lanes. That matters for future expansion and for storage or GPU bandwidth.

Integrated graphics are present on both. The Intel chip has UHD Graphics 750, while the Ryzen has Radeon Graphics. Neither part is unlocked for multiplier overclocking.

Production status is worth noting. The Intel chip is end-of-life; the Ryzen is active. The Ryzen is the only one of the two you can reasonably expect to buy new.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D wins both tests. It scores 21758 in multi-core versus 14513 for the Intel Core i5-11500, a 33.3% lead. In single-core, it scores 3071 versus 2049, also a 33.3% lead.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7600X3D worth the extra cost?

A: The launch MSRP of the Ryzen 5 7600X3D is $299, while the Intel Core i5-11500 launched at $192. The Ryzen wins all 17 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, so the performance difference is substantial, not marginal.

Q: Do both CPUs have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes. Both have 6 cores and 12 threads. The difference comes from architecture, cache, memory support, and clock speeds, not core counts.

Q: Which CPU has more cache?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600X3D has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to 12 MB on the Intel Core i5-11500. The Ryzen also has 1 MB of L2 per core versus 512 KB per core on the Intel chip.

Q: Can I use DDR4 memory with the Ryzen 5 7600X3D?

A: No. The Ryzen 5 7600X3D supports DDR5 memory only. The Intel Core i5-11500 supports DDR4.

Q: Which CPU is better for a new build in 2025?

A: The data strongly favors the Ryzen 5 7600X3D. It wins every recorded benchmark, uses a modern 5 nm process, supports PCIe Gen 5 and DDR5, and is still in active production. The Intel chip is end-of-life.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every specification field except core count, thread count, TDP, and market segment.

• Base clock: Intel 2.70 GHz, AMD 4.10 GHz
• Boost clock: Intel 4.60 GHz, AMD 4.70 GHz
• Socket: Intel Socket 1200, AMD Socket AM5
• Architecture: Rocket Lake, Zen 4 (Raphael)
• Process node: 14 nm, 5 nm
• Foundry: Intel, TSMC
• Transistors: not recorded for Intel, 11,270 million for AMD
• Die size: 276 mm², 71 mm²
• L1 cache: 80 KB per core, 64 KB per core
• L2 cache: 512 KB per core, 1 MB per core
• L3 cache: 12 MB shared, 96 MB shared
• Memory support: DDR4, DDR5
• Memory bandwidth: 51.2 GB/s, 83.2 GB/s
• ECC memory: false, true
• PCIe: Gen 4 with 20 lanes, Gen 5 with 24 lanes
• Integrated graphics: UHD Graphics 750, Radeon Graphics
• Production status: End-of-life, Active
• Release date: 2021-03-15, 2024-08-29
• Launch MSRP: $192, $299
• Part number: SRKNY, 100-000001721

Both CPUs have 6 cores, 12 threads, a 65 W TDP, dual-channel memory buses, and locked multipliers.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D wins every recorded comparison, but the margin varies by workload. The smallest advantage is in single-threaded PassMark tests, where the Ryzen scores 3605 versus 3131 for the Intel chip, a 13.1% lead. That is still a clear win, but the closest race in the entire data set.

The Cinebench results are remarkably consistent. In R15, R20, and R23, both multi-core and single-core tests show the Ryzen leading by exactly 33.3%. The Ryzen scores 2193 in R15 multi-core versus 1462, 9138 in R20 multi-core versus 6095, and 21758 in R23 multi-core versus 14513. Single-core results follow the same pattern: 309 versus 206 in R15, 1289 versus 860 in R20, and 3071 versus 2049 in R23.

PassMark results show a wider spread. The largest margin is in find prime numbers, where the Ryzen scores 234 versus 51, a 78.2% lead. PassMark physics shows a 71.7% gap, with the Ryzen at 2906 versus 823. Data encryption shows a 34.8% gap (16237 vs 10592), and multi-thread shows a 33.8% gap (25855 vs 17107).

Other PassMark tests are closer but still decisive. The Ryzen leads by 25.2% in data compression (281665 vs 210796), by 28.4% in extended instructions (21108 vs 15111), by 22.3% in floating point math (44289 vs 34422), by 20.9% in integer math (73804 vs 58352), and by 28.6% in random string sorting (34318 vs 24505).

The 3DMark scores are only recorded for the Ryzen 5 7600X3D. It scores 5906 in 16-thread, 1840 in 2-thread, 3498 in 4-thread, 5215 in 8-thread, 5956 in max-thread, and 944 in single-thread. No comparable Intel scores appear in the database.

The aggregate picture is clear. The Intel chip's best result relative to the Ryzen is in single-thread PassMark, where it trails by only 13.1%. Its worst is in prime number finding, where it trails by 78.2%. The Ryzen dominates across rendering, physics, encryption, compression, and math workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D wins every benchmark category recorded. There is no workload in the data where the Intel Core i5-11500 comes out ahead. That said, the margin varies, and the practical implications differ.

The Ryzen 5 7600X3D is the clear choice for rendering workloads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21758 versus 14513 means a 33.3% reduction in render time. The same applies to R15 and R20, both with identical 33.3% margins. For anyone doing 3D rendering, video encoding, or other threaded creative work, the Ryzen is the better processor by a consistent one-third.

The Ryzen is also the stronger pick for physics and simulation workloads. The PassMark physics score of 2906 versus 823 is a 71.7% gap, the second-largest margin in the data. Prime number finding shows an even larger gap at 78.2% (234 vs 51), which indicates the Ryzen's integer and algorithmic performance is in a different class.

For memory-heavy and cache-sensitive workloads, the Ryzen's 96 MB L3 cache and DDR5 support (83.2 GB/s versus 51.2 GB/s) give it large advantages. Data compression is 25.2% faster, random string sorting is 28.6% faster, and data encryption is 34.8% faster. These are workloads that benefit directly from the larger cache and higher memory bandwidth.

The Intel Core i5-11500 has no benchmark wins, but its closest showing is in single-threaded PassMark, where it trails by 13.1%. If you are running lightly threaded applications that are not cache-sensitive, the Intel chip is less far behind. That is not a recommendation, just an observation about where the gap is smallest.

The Ryzen 5 7600X3D also wins on platform longevity. It uses the AM5 socket, which supports DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5. The Intel chip is on the older LGA 1200 platform with DDR4 and PCIe Gen 4. The Ryzen is active in production; the Intel part is end-of-life.

In summary, the Ryzen 5 7600X3D is the better CPU for every measured task. The Intel Core i5-11500 only makes sense as a low-cost upgrade for an existing LGA 1200 system, and even then, the data shows you would be leaving significant performance on the table.