11700K vs 5800X

When it comes to core processing units, two companies, in particular, know how to make a great quality component, Intel and AMD.

With the end of a year there comes a release of brand new CPUs. In this article, we will be reviewing and benchmarking two long-awaited CPUs, the Intel Core i7-11700K, and the AMD Ryzen 5800X.

We have taken a closer look at specifications such as cores, threads, architecture, and multitasking to find out which is the better option of the two.

Intel/AMD

When it comes to core processing units, both AMD and Intel are at the top of their game. While there are many CPU-producing companies you can choose from the vast majority of gamers will choose from one of the two.

It can be a difficult choice knowing which is the better company. In recent years AMD has taken the gaming world by storm with the release of their latest CPUs. They are high spec and provide impressive gameplay.

However, Intel is not far behind. What is great about the Intel CPUs is that they are typically more affordable than the AMD components.

The CPU is one of the most important aspects of a PC build. As it is the brain of the PC, you will want to purchase the best possible CPU for the budget you have. Your choice will have an overall effect on your build as it will limit the type of motherboard and GPU you use.

The cores and threads of your CPU are two of the most important things you will need to take into consideration.

As they are responsible for delegating tasks and for the overall workload of your PC components, the CPU must contain a sufficient amount. This is especially important when gaming as you will want the single-core threads to run your games smoothly without any issues.

The cores and threads are important when it comes to your PC’s ability to multitask. The higher number of cores and threads a CPU has, the better it will perform. Given this, you will always want to choose the best possible specifications that your budget will allow for.

The cores within the CPU are physical and are responsible for the overall running of the PC. Both CPUs use 8 cores, which is more than enough for gaming. For gaming, you will need an average of 4 cores at a minimum and both CPUs perform far above this.

The threads help to determine the number of tasks your CPU can carry out simultaneously. Again, both processors have the same number with 16. This is a great amount and is more than the minimum amount needed for gaming. The minimum number for a game to run smoothly is 12.

From benchmarking both CPUs, the average score of the 11700K was 15% higher than the 5800X. While this is not a significant difference, it is noticeable. The single-core speed of the 11700K was 185 Pts, in comparison to the 5800X’s 161 Pts. When overclocked, again the 11700K was the better of the two, with an 11% increase.

While both have the same number of threads and cores, the Intel does perform better overall. This is especially important when looking at the single-core performance.

The base and clock speeds of a CPU are essential aspects to consider. Without good clock speeds, your PC build will be unable to run games successfully. Ideally, you should choose the CPU with the best possible clock speeds.

The speeds are as follows:

11700K:

• Base Clock – 3.6 GHz
• Boost Clock – Up to 4.6 GHz

5800X:

• Base Clock – 3.8 GHz
• Boost Clock – Up to 4.7 GHz

The differences between both CPUs are low and unlikely to make a significant difference to the overall gameplay. When the clock speeds of the 5800X are slightly better, the 11500K still performed better when benchmarked.

Architecture

The architecture of the CPU will enable you to gauge how well the CPU will perform overall. The architecture covers many different aspects, such as the PCIe interface, chipset, and CPU size. This will enable you to check which components are compatible with this processor.

The 11700K uses Rocket Lake architecture, which is Intel’s newest form. It is built on a 14nm process and is very futureproof. It has a higher number of transistors in comparison to older models and has a faster memory overall.

The AMD 5800X runs on a Zen 3 Core Architecture. This is a new architecture from AMD but it is slightly older in comparison to the Rocket Lake. It has a unified complex design and a good amount of L3 cache.

It is difficult to compare them both as they both feature their own pros and cons. However, Rocket Lake does seem to have a slight edge.

Both CPUs have a PCIe 4.0 lane, which is the most current specification. Given this, they are both futureproof. The use of the newer interface is worth noting as this may require you to upgrade a dated motherboard.

These CPUs use a DDR4 memory type and are 65 bit. The AMD needs an AM4 socket and the Intel uses an LGA 1200 socket.

Here are their cache specifications:

11700K:

L2 Cache – 512MB
L3 Cache – 16MB

5800X

L2 Cache – 4MB
L3 Cache – 32MB

Both feature great cache specifications, however, the L3 cache for the 5800X is better.

Multitasking

When it comes to multitasking, your core processor must be capable of running all of the programs you want to use. Whether this is one program at a time or multiple at once, your processor will need to multitask successfully.

While multitasking can sometimes be overlooked, if you are looking to run streaming channels, music, YouTube, or other applications, the CPU needs to have enough threads and cores to do this. The more programs you run, the more taxing this is to the CPU.

When looking at these processors, they both have 8 cores and 16 threads, this is more than enough needed to run games and multiple programs without the PC becoming slow or taxed.

When comparing both core processors, the differences are minimal. While the Intel 11700K is slightly better overall, there are not world’s apart. Both CPUs feature the same number of cores and threads. They both use the newest PCIe interface.

Regardless of which CPU you choose, they are both significantly futureproof. The architecture used is good, though the 11700K’s Rocket Lake is slightly better of the two.

The only real differences arose when we benchmarked the performance of the CPUs. While there was not a significant difference, the 11700K did perform better when it came to effective speed and overclocking in particular. Given this, for gameplay, it is likely the faster of the two.

In addition to this, its single-core speeds were more successful, which is important in gaming. In contrast to this, the cache of the 5800X was better, which will help when it comes to loading games.

Interestingly, the 11700K is the cheaper option of the two even though it is the newer model. Given this, if an Intel CPU is compatible with your build, we would recommend this over the 5800X. However, the 5800X is still a fantastic choice overall.