Core i5-11600 vs Ryzen 7 5825U

Core i5-11600 vs Ryzen 7 5825U Performance Spectrum

Core i5-11600

6 / 12

17,912

0.0%

18,050

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

About PassMark

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.

Core i5-11600 vs Ryzen 7 5825U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i5-11600 vs Ryzen 7 5825U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-11600

2021

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Ryzen 7 5825U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 5825U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,912 vs 18,050).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $213 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 5825U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 5825U

2022

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5825U better than Core i5-11600?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-11600 is ahead with a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5825U pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 5825U also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5825U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 5825U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-11600 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Ryzen 7 5825U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $213 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i5-11600 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-11600 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (84.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 7 5825U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i5-11600 vs Ryzen 7 5825U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i5-11600

The Core i5-11600 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 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 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: 17,912 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 5825U

The Ryzen 7 5825U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 18,050 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-11600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5825U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 5825U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i5-11600 versus 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5825U — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-11600 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-11600 uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5825U uses Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11600 scores 17,912 against the Ryzen 7 5825U's 18,050 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 5825U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11600 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5825U.

Feature	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 5825U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+7%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+40%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023)
PassMark	17,912	18,050
Cinebench R23 Multi	10,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,130	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11600 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 5825U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-11600	Ryzen 7 5825U
Socket	LGA1200	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-11600) / not specified (Ryzen 7 5825U). The Core i5-11600 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 750), while the Ryzen 7 5825U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11600 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-11600 rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.