AMD Ryzen 7 5800X vs. Intel Core i7-11700K

Today we've got a classic head to head CPU battle in our easily, with a comparing between the Ryzen 7 5800X and Core i7-11700K, both of which are 8-core, 16-thread CPUs that toll around $400. Timing couldn't be amend for this comparison, since Intel'south 11th-gen Core is readily available and from what we've heard AMD is finally flooding the market place with Zen 3 CPUs, then buying a 5800X should be a lot easier than information technology'southward been since release.

Every bit of writing, the Ryzen 5800X is selling for effectually $420 and it appears to be in stock just about everywhere, then things are looking promising. Then we have the Core i7-11700K which is a make new production and has only been available for nigh 2 months now, currently selling for $399.

For the price, the Core i7-11700K should offer more than decent value and certainly nothing like the i9-11900K, which in this generation is essentially a binned version of the aforementioned chip to be sold for $600. There'southward likewise the discounted previous generation 10700K at $330, though we won't be looking at that today.

Before we get to the results, a few quick words on today'south test setup...

Both CPUs accept been tested using DDR4-3800 CL14 memory. We've got our hands on a high quality Thousand.Skill TridentZ Neo 32GB kit and information technology's very impressive. That's the memory, and that means we won't be using the typical CL14 3200 kit for this criterion.

For the GPU, nosotros're not using a GeForce RTX 3090 either, and the reason is that the Radeon RX 6900 XT is simply much faster at 1080p.

Although we've besides tested at 1440p and 4K, 1080p is really where we're able to compare CPU performance as it helps to reduce the GPU bottleneck.

Our motherboards of choice, for the AM4 platform we have the MSI X570 Unify running the latest BIOS and for the LGA1200 platform the Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Master, using the latest BIOS, and of course, the latest display drivers and Windows 10.

In total, we tested 32 games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K. We'll wait at detailed data for well-nigh a dozen titles then get into the usual performance breakdown with all the games.

Benchmarks

To start things off, we'll look at a few games that correspond the kind of functioning margins we typically see between these two processors when gaming. That is to say, for the most part they're really close.

Playing Horizon Zero Dawn, the 5800X was 2% faster at 1080p, which is a negligible difference, especially with both CPUs enabling well over 100 fps at all times.

Watch Dogs: Legion is another game where the Ryzen processor is faster but by a meaningless 2% margin. Interestingly, a similar delta is seen at all 3 tested resolutions, even at 4K.

Of form, nosotros're talking almost a disparity of merely ane fps. Though information technology was highly repeatable, so the Intel processor is somehow imposing a tiny performance penalty, though in actual gameplay the difference is meaningless.

Nosotros tested with the new Metro Exodus Enhanced version and found that despite being able to push well over 100 fps even at 1440p, thanks to variable rate shading, the CPU played most no role here, or rather, these two 8-cadre CPUs are powerful plenty that it makes no difference.

We've heard that the new 11th-gen CPUs perform really well in Microsoft Flying Simulator 2022, leaving their Zen 3 competitors in the dust. All the same, that'southward not what I institute in our testing, rather operation was once again similar.

Fifty-fifty in the CPU-heavy Cyberpunk 2077, we find very piddling difference between these AMD and Intel processors. The 11700K was 2% faster at 1080p while the opposite was true at 1440p and then identical results were seen at 4K. Overall, another game where frame rates are much the aforementioned using either CPU.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a expert instance of a game that wasn't designed with loftier frame rates in mind and we actually see this a lot, specially with single player titles. The 6900 XT maxed out at just over 100 fps using either CPU, resulting in very similar 1080p and 1440p data.

Conversely, Fortnite was developed with high refresh charge per unit gaming in heed, though the game can still be clunky at times. Anyway, here we're looking at like 1% depression performance using either CPU, while the 5800X was upwardly to 6% faster when comparing the average frame rate. Though we'd argue this is a negligible difference equally both were pushing upwards around 200 fps.

Death Stranding is a game that certainly doesn't require 200 fps, but if you lot have either of these CPUs with a 6900 XT, that's exactly what you'll get at 1080p and even 1440p.

Ryzen was ~6% faster, and so technically the superior performer here, but with both CPUs pushing over 160 fps at all times in this examination, you accept to wonder if it matters.

Resident Evil Village is the newest game featured in this bombardment of benchmarks and equally proficient equally it looks, the Radeon RX 6900 XT had no issue delivering extreme frame rates in this single player title. That said, if y'all're after maximum performance the 5800X was 12% faster at 1080p, though that margin is nearly eliminated at 1440p.

One of the biggest issues we saw with Intel'due south 11th gen Cadre series was the regression in performance seen in some games. I such example is Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. We saw in our 11900K review that the new flagship was 7% slower than the office it was replacing, and that handed AMD the win.

The 11700K doesn't fare peculiarly well here, at least relative to the 5800X as the Ryzen scrap is 18% faster when comparing the average frame rate and 33% faster for the 1% low. Those are big margins just with well over 300 fps, how many of you will find the divergence?

Also, for those gaming at 1440p the 5800X is only ~7% faster and so 5% a 4K.

Moving on, the Core i7-11700K stumbles in War Thunder, handing the 5800X a big 22% victory at 1080p and 1440p. For some reason the Intel CPU limits organisation performance much earlier than the 5800X and we tin can't tell if this is an 11th-gen event every bit nosotros haven't tested the 10700K nonetheless. But this isn't the only game where Intel came up well brusque.

Performance also took a hit in World War Z and once again while nosotros are talking virtually seriously high frame rates, it was interesting to see the 5800X offering virtually 30% more than performance at 1080p. Again, nosotros don't know if this is another 11th-gen gremlin, or if Zen three is just particularly punchy here. We'll accept to retest the 10700K or perhaps Intel is missing some optimization in their stack.

At least for this comparison, AMD is manner faster, whether or not you demand more than 200 fps in Globe War Z is hard to say though.

Performance Summary

Now it'south time to compare these two CPUs across all 32 games, starting with the 1080p data.

The first thing that jumps out from these numbers is how the Ryzen 7 5800X is the more consistent performer. This is contrast to previous Ryzen generations, and clearly the path AMD has taken the by few years with Zen, Zen+ and Zen ii. When information technology comes to gaming performance they've been a bit all over the place, until now where Zen three simply delivers.

We can see that at worst the 5800X is 2% slower than the 11700K. As we've said endless times in the past when comparing CPUs and GPUs, we deem any margin that's v% or less to be a draw. Basically the margins are and so pocket-sized you won't realize the departure, and therefore it doesn't matter.

Sticking with that guideline, we run into that for 75% of the games tested, the margins are meaningless as both CPUs enabled the same gaming experience. That leaves 8 games where Ryzen did offering significant performance gains, though you'd need to evaluate each title individually as in some instances we're talking virtually games where you're in the hundreds of FPS, similar Globe War Z for example.

It'due south worth keeping in mind that those margins were seen at 1080p using a Radeon RX 6900 XT.

For those gaming at 1440p or 4K, the margins in nigh of these games compress with few exceptions. Overall, the Ryzen 7 5800X was merely 3% faster on average, so for the vast majority of games you lot'll be looking at near identical functioning using either of these CPUs.

A Lucifer for Gaming, Simply Which CPU is Better?

When information technology comes to gaming, it doesn't matter which of these CPUs you use, Ryzen vii 5800X or Core i7-11700K, functioning is going to be much the same. For a list of unlike reasons though, one of these is better than the other, but we just wanted to make information technology clear and establish that if gaming is the simply parameter and need to be considered, then both are great solutions and a true functioning lucifer.

With that disclaimer out of the way, which is the improve CPU?

I'm sure it won't surprise many of y'all to hear that AMD wins this comparing. The Ryzen 7 5800X is the better choice for a number of reasons, including significantly better ability efficiency and a better upgrade path, cheers to what is overall a superior platform.

As we come across information technology, there'due south no advantage to buying the Core i7-11700K except for the rare scenario where you need integrated graphics (e.g. you lot can't find a GPU at a decent price and don't have an older graphics menu to employ in a new build).

For other aspects, some might bespeak to overclocking, but there'south footling to no headroom left, especially if you're already running without power limits in place every bit we were for this testing. The tunability of both CPUs is fairly similar and about of the gains volition come from memory tuning.

The big issue with the 11700K is power consumption, and while nosotros didn't prove power data in this article equally the focus was on gaming performance, you lot can merely wait at whatsoever 11700K review to go that information. There are a few reasons why increased ability usage is an issue: it means motherboard pricing goes up equally a more robust VRM is required, and that certainly is the case for Intel motherboards. It also means you lot need to invest more in cooling, otherwise you'll confront high operating temperatures.

Speaking of which, the Ryzen 7 5800X is known to be a bit of a hot CPU despite using far less power than a part similar the 11700K. Only information technology's truthful, with a quality cooler you're even so looking at load temperatures of around 80C with the Ryzen 7 processor.

Do note however you tin't compare operating temperatures betwixt brands, so you can't straight compare the 5800X and 11700K, just similar you can compare GPUs, say the 6800 XT and RTX 3080. The reason is that they aren't necessarily reporting the aforementioned matter, depending on offsets and probe locations, the readouts can be very different and therefore don't make for an apples to apples comparing.

At the cease of the twenty-four hour period, it's power consumption that matters the well-nigh, as long as the CPU is performing every bit expected and is able to maintain 100% stability.

In our book, the biggest win for AMD though is the AM4 platform. While it'south true that both LGA1200 and AM4 are at the terminate of their life, or at to the lowest degree that'south the expectation, you still have many more options with AMD.

Should you invest in the Core i7-11700K on a shiny new Z590 motherboard, that's it y'all're done, the system is effectively set in stone. There'due south no future upgrade to be had, the Core i9-11900K has nothing to offer you as it'due south essentially the exact same CPU. On the other manus, the 5800X has real upgrade paths on offer. You could move to the 12-core 5900X or even the xvi-core 5950X, then the ability to double the core count and processing power exists on this platform.

Only going back to gaming functioning, every bit we opened with that, operation overall is much the same. The Ryzen 5800X costs a lilliputian more the Core i7, currently at $420-430 depending on the retailer, perhaps nigh importantly information technology's in stock almost everywhere we checked. The Core i7-11700K is also readily available for $399, though you'll typically make up the difference between these two on motherboard pricing.