i5-11600K vs Ryzen 9 3950X

Too close to call. At 1440p there is only about 3% between them — buy whichever is cheaper.

The gap changes with resolution.

CPU differences shrink as resolution rises — at 4K the graphics card does most of the work.

In a real build with a RTX 3080.

Specs alone don’t tell you which to buy. Here is what each one does when it’s actually paired up, at 1440p.

So which should you buy?

Whichever is cheaper on the day. There is roughly 3% between them at 1440p, which you will not notice in a game.

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Common questions.

Straight answers on the i5-11600K versus the Ryzen 9 3950X.

• Is the i5-11600K better than the Ryzen 9 3950X?

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  They are close enough to call a tie. At 1440p the i5-11600K scores 71 on our index against 69 for the Ryzen 9 3950X — a gap of about 3%, which is inside the margin where you would not feel a difference while gaming. Buy whichever is cheaper or easier to find.

• Does the i5-11600K or Ryzen 9 3950X bottleneck a RTX 3080?

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  Paired with a RTX 3080 at 1440p, the i5-11600K build comes out balanced, and the Ryzen 9 3950X build comes out balanced. Being GPU-bound is the healthy outcome — it means the graphics card is the part working hardest.

• Is it worth upgrading from the Ryzen 9 3950X to the i5-11600K?

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  No. A 3% index gap will not be visible in games, and the money is better spent on the other side of the build — usually the GPU.

• Which is better value, the i5-11600K or the Ryzen 9 3950X?

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  On performance per dollar at MSRP, the i5-11600K wins. The i5-11600K lists at $262 for an index of 71, and the Ryzen 9 3950X at $749 for 69.