11600K vs 10600K

In this article, we compare two of Intel’s core processing units, the 11600K and the 10600K to find out which is the better option.

WePC 10600k VS 11600k
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11600K vs 10600K

Choosing the correct CPU for your gaming PC is one of the most important decisions to make when creating your own build. Being the brain of the tower, you will need to ensure that the core processing unit is sufficient for the type of gaming you are planning.

The CPU needs to be compatible with your motherboard and other components. In this article, we have compared two of Intel’s popular CPUs, the 11600K, and 10600K.

We have taken a closer look at their specifications and have benchmarked each to see how well they perform. We will be discussing their clock speeds, threads, cores, and architecture to help determine which is the better option.

Intel/AMD

When you are choosing a CPU, two tech giants dominate the sales of these components, Intel and AMD. These two companies provide the best CPUs on the market.

It can be a difficult choice between the two as both companies offer impressive options. While AMD has risen significantly in recent years, Intel is not far behind and their CPUs are great for gaming.

Intel’s CPUs are known to be great value for the money. They produce a wide range of different CPUs to suit every budget and gaming level.

When choosing a CPU it is important to get your choice right and this will impact the other components you choose. Certain components are only compatible with certain types of processors, so the decision you make is a significant one.

Cores/Threads

When it comes to the performance of a CPU, the cores and threads are important. It is these that enable the CPU to multitask. The more programs you are planning to run at once, the more you will benefit from having a higher number of cores and threads.

First, let’s take a look at the number of cores, both CPUs have 6. This is a good number for gaming. They both have the same number of threads, which is 12.

In gaming the lowest amount of cores a CPU should have to run efficiently is 4, the minimum amount of threads needed is 8. Both CPUs perform well above this. While they may have the same number of cores, it is how these cores manage the important information.

When using Geekbench 5, 64bit (single-core) the memory of the 11600K was 1615, in comparison to the 100600K’s 1354. While this is not testing multitasking, when using one thread, the 11600K is significantly quick at processing information.

Next, we tested the iGPU – FP32 Performance, this measures the single-precision GFLOPS and how quickly the CPU can perform. The 11600K had a benchmark of 690, in comparison to the 10600K’s 462. Again, the newer 11600K was the better of the two by a significant margin, which is to be expected.

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Clock Speed

When choosing a CPU, the most important aspect to consider is the clock speeds. Without a good clock speed, your CPU will be unable to run games with no issues. Ideally, the CPU you choose will have the best possible base and core clock speeds that your budget will accommodate.

Here are the clock speeds for these Intel CPUs:

11600K:

Base Clock – 4.2 GHz
Boost Clock – 4.9 GHz

10600K:

Base Clock – 4.1 GHz
Boost Clock – 4.8 GHz

The difference is minimal. However, the 11600K does have a slightly faster performance overall. While it may not be enough difference to notice in gaming, if you are looking for the CPU with the better base and clock speeds, the 11600K is the better option.

Architecture

The architecture of the core processing unit is important to consider. You will need to assess the size of the component, chipset, and interface it uses. These are all important to consider as they determine how well the CPU performs and what types of components it is compatible with.

The 11600k uses Rocket Lake architecture and the 10600K uses Comet Lake. The Rocket Lake architecture is the newer of the two and is a step up in comparison to Comet Lake.

It is a very new architecture being released in March 2021. It features more transistors in comparison to the cores used in Comet Lake. While Comet Lake is still great architecture, Rocket Lake is the more futureproof of the two.

When looking at the interface, the 11600K uses PCIe 4.0, whereas the 10600K uses PCIe 3.0. PCIe 4.0 is the newer spec of the two and the best for future-proofing. However, many motherboards still operate using a PCIe 3.0 x 16 interface.

They both have a 64-bit instruction set and 14nm technology, which is perfect for gaming. They both require an LGA 1200 socket.

Neither CPU is backward compatible. This means that you will need to ensure that the motherboard you have uses the same interface for these to be compatible.

When looking at architecture, the cache is an important aspect to consider. Both have an L3 cache of 12MB. The cache memory for each is reasonable. Overall, the 11600K does have better architecture and is the more futureproof option of the two CPUs.

Multitasking

When you purchase a CPU, you will want to ensure that it is good at multitasking. As we have mentioned above, the cores and threads are responsible for this multitasking.

Often when it comes to choosing a gaming CPU, multitasking can be ignored. However, if you are running multiple programs such as YouTube, Spotify, or Twitch, the more you will benefit from a good number of cores.

The more programs you are running at once, the more taxing this will be on the CPU. So, while multitasking is often referred to in a non-gaming sense, it is important within a gaming PC too.

When looking at the 11600K and the 10600K in particular, they both have 6 cores and 12 threads. This is more than enough to run other programs alongside gameplay without affecting things such as loading speeds.

Comparison

When comparing both of these CPUs, the 11600K is the newer and better model of the two. It is far more future-proof, with its PCIe 4.0 interface and faster clock speeds. However, having a newer PCIe interface may mean that you will need to upgrade existing components such as the motherboard as the CPU is not backward compatible.

The 11600K is more expensive in comparison to the 10600K given that it is a brand new CPU. However, it is certainly worth the cost. It performed far better when benchmarked in comparison to the 10600K and we think that this is going to be a popular choice in the gaming community.

The architecture of the 11600K is a step up too. While they both have the same number of cores and threads, the 11600K does perform better when benchmarked overall.

If you are looking for a new PC set up, the 11600K is the best option. However, if you do not want to upgrade your motherboard yet, you may want to stick to the 10600K for the time being.