Intel Core i5-11600K Review: Still A Good Mid-Range CPU In 2023
The 11th Generation Intel Core i5-11600K processor is an older processor that many people seem to still want to buy because of its low price and good performance.
However, considering that it has been two years since its release, is this processor worth buying in 2023? Read this 2023 review post to find out!
Intel Core i5-11600K Release Date And Price
The Intel Core i5-11600K CPU was released in March 2021. This belongs to the 11th Generation Intel Core family of “Rocket Lake” processors. The current Intel Core i5-11600K price will be around $200 in US markets, varying from retailer to retailer.
When it was launched, it was meant to compete against the AMD Ryzen 5600X and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor. Now, in 2023, it still serves as a good enough processor if you wish to assemble a budget to mid-level PC that is good enough for gaming and other tasks.
Intel Core i5-11600K Specifications
The primary Intel Core i5-11600K specs are:
| Number of Cores | 6 |
| Number of Threads | 12 |
| Clock Speed (Base) | 3.9 GHz |
| Clock Speed (Boost/Max) | 4.6 GHz |
| Cache (L2 + L3) | 12 MB Intel Smart Cache |
| Architecture | Rocket Lake |
| Manufacturing Process | 14 nm |
| Memory | Upto DDR4 3200 |
| Motherboard Socket | Intel FCLGA 1200 |
| Integrated Graphics | Intel UHD 750 Graphics |
| Integrated Graphics Frequency | 350 MHz |
| TDP (Thermal Design Power) | 125 Watts |
Intel Core i5-11600K Benchmark Scores
Using Benchmarking Tools to test the power of a processor or graphics card is mandatory to understand its capabilities.
For this Intel Core i5-11600K review, this is the AMD testing setup that I have used:
| Processor | Intel Core i5-11600K |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB |
| RAM | 32 GB DDR5 (2 x 16 GB) |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Motherboard | MSI MPG Z490 Carbon WiFi |
However, to provide a better benchmarking comparison, I have also tested other competing processors alongside it as well. Here are the benchmark test results of the Intel Core i5-11600K processor alongside other competing processors:
| Benchmark | Ryzen 7 5800X3D | i5-11600K | i7-13700K | Ryzen 9 7600X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 5 (Single Core) | 1,649 | 1,721 | 2,728 | 2,158 |
| Geekbench 5 (Multi Core) | 12,047 | 8,386 | 17,708 | 22,705 |
| Cibenech R23 (Single Core) | 964 | 739 | 2.006 | 1,523 |
| Cibenech R23 (Multi Core) | 20,847 | 1,585 | 30,015 | 35,024 |
| PugetBench (Photoshop) | 824 | 1,067 | 1,602 | 1,350 |
| PugetBench (Premiere Pro) | 786 | 799 | 1,111 | 1,088 |
| Blender Fishy Cat Render | 143 | 316 | 196 | 132 |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 12,575 | 9,453 | 17,253 | 16,175 |
As you can see from the benchmark tests above, the Intel Core i5 11600K is significantly weaker than the Ryzen 9 7600X. However, it is slightly better than the Ryzen 7 5800X3D – one of its main competitors.
Since Intel has always been known to provide better single-core performance than Ryzen processors, it fared better than the Ryxen 7 5800X3D in the single-core Geekbench 5 scores. However, on all other segments, the other processors in the table above fared better.
Therefore, judging by these benchmark scores, it will not be better than the i5-12600K or the i9-12900K. Since the latter two are 12th Gen Intel Core processors, they will deliver better performance.
However, in most cases, it’s expected to perform similarly to the AMD Ryzen 7600X and the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. But since the 5800X3D has a bigger L3 cache memory, it performs substantially better in gaming.
Intel Core i5-11600K Performance
When it comes to performing day-to-day activities, like studying, office work, watching movies, browning the web, etc – this processor makes everything seem so smooth on the screen. Nothing lags, and everything seems to work just fine.
The same goes for using creative apps as well. I used Blender. Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and lots more. Here, everything seems to perform smoothly as well. I have zero complaints in this regard. However, I believe buying better processors will not have a sizable impact here since it’s hard to notice at a glance.
However, I did notice my PC heats up a lot compared to other processors I have tested so far. While it runs cooler than most Zen 3 processors, Zen 4 is much better in this regard. Plus, 125 W TDP is still on the higher side as well. However, Intel chips from Gen 12 and 13 also consume a lot of power as well.
Intel Core i5-11600K Gaming Performance
When it comes to gaming, here are the frame rates that I’ve got after testing out a few games at Ultra Settings in both 1080p and 4K.
| Game | 1080p FPS | 4k FPS |
|---|---|---|
| Far Cry 6 | 118 | 58 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 151 | 54 |
| Rainbow Six: Siege | 336 | 142 |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 532 | 338 |
| Hitman 3 | 105 | 45 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 88 | 32 |
As you can see from this table, the i5-11600K is fairly good when it comes to gaming. If you wish to play games in 4K, you can do with the older titles if you aim for 60+ fps. However, newer titles will not provide 60+ fps on 4K.
Overall, if you are building a gaming PC on a budget, this process will do just fine. However, if it’s primarily for gaming, I would still recommend the Ryzen 5 7600X over this.
Intel Core i5-11600K Competitors
If you are looking for alternatives to the i5-11600K, then the best ones are as follows:
1. AMD Ryzen 5 5800X3D
Price: $499
The AMD Ryzen 5 5800X3D specs are:
| Number of Cores | 8 |
| Number of Threads | 16 |
| Clock Speed (Base) | 3.4 GHz |
| Clock Speed (Boost/Max) | 4.5 GHz |
Here, the 11600K outperforms this processor in almost all fields. However, the 5800X3D stands its ground firmly when it comes to gaming, where its bigger L3 cache proves to be substantial enough. However, that is not worth almost double the price you are paying.
2. AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Price: $229
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X specs are:
| Number of Cores | 6 |
| Number of Threads | 12 |
| Clock Speed (Base) | 4.7 GHz |
| Clock Speed (Boost/Max) | 5.3 GHz |
The Ryzen 7600X processor is one of the best alternatives to the i5-11600K. Since it provides similar performance, the 7600X seems to perform better overall, especially in gaming. However, if you wish to work more with creative tools and play fewer games, then the 11600K will be a better option.
Final Verdict: Is The Intel Core i5-11600K Worth Buying In 2023?
If you want a decent gaming processor on a budget of around $200, then buying the i5-11600K will not be a bad choice. It performs well with most apps, and you can game on it pretty well too. However, I would still recommend the Ryzen 5 5600X and the 7600X for gaming by paying a bit more. However, if you buy this, get an additional liquid cooler as well since this draws a lot of power and runs really hot.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Decent gaming performance • Multi-threading is pretty good • Affordable price | • Poor PCIe 4 support • Draws a lot of power • Rus hot fairly quickly |
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