Core i5-11500 vs Ryzen 5 7535U

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-11500

2021

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Ryzen 5 7535U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7535U.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $192 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7535U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7535U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 7535U

2023

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,926 vs 17,096).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11500.

Core i5-11500

2021

Ryzen 5 7535U

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Ryzen 5 7535U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7535U.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $192 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7535U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7535U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,926 vs 17,096).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11500.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-11500 better than Ryzen 5 7535U?

Yes. Core i5-11500 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.7% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-11500 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.7% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-11500 is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-11500 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-11500 is at an unclear MSRP at $192 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 1.7% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 7535U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB). That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i5-11500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7535U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7535U
1080p
low	189 FPS	167 FPS
medium	154 FPS	145 FPS
high	127 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	142 FPS
medium	120 FPS	121 FPS
high	98 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	79 FPS
medium	73 FPS	72 FPS
high	59 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7535U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7535U
1080p
low	427 FPS	353 FPS
medium	359 FPS	294 FPS
high	324 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	282 FPS	228 FPS
1440p
low	400 FPS	304 FPS
medium	324 FPS	258 FPS
high	295 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	202 FPS
4K
low	334 FPS	226 FPS
medium	274 FPS	195 FPS
high	251 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	146 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7535U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7535U
1080p
low	427 FPS	423 FPS
medium	427 FPS	423 FPS
high	427 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	344 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	423 FPS
medium	427 FPS	400 FPS
high	427 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	301 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	340 FPS
medium	346 FPS	284 FPS
high	302 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7535U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7535U
1080p
low	427 FPS	423 FPS
medium	427 FPS	423 FPS
high	427 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	423 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	423 FPS
medium	427 FPS	423 FPS
high	427 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	423 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	423 FPS
medium	427 FPS	423 FPS
high	427 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	415 FPS	359 FPS

Open Core i5-11500 Open Ryzen 5 7535U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11500 and Ryzen 5 7535U

Core i5-11500

The Core i5-11500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 17,096 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 7535U

The Ryzen 5 7535U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.55 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 16,926 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-11500 and Ryzen 5 7535U share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-11500 versus 4.55 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7535U — a 1.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-11500 (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i5-11500 uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7535U uses Rembrandt-R (2023−2025) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11500 scores 17,096 against the Ryzen 5 7535U's 16,926 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-11500. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11500 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7535U.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7535U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+1%	4.55 GHz
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	2.9 GHz+7%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	6 nm-57%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Rembrandt-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	17,096+1%	16,926
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,883	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,064	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,564	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11500 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 7535U uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-11500	Ryzen 5 7535U
Socket	LGA1200	FP7
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-11500) / not specified (Ryzen 5 7535U). The Core i5-11500 includes integrated graphics (UHD 750), while the Ryzen 5 7535U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11500 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-11500 rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.