Who do you buy: Intel Rocket Lake-S or AMD Ryzen 5000?

Intel vs AMD. The battle of Ryzen vs. Core is on. The two chip behemoths have been going head-to-head for the last few years. This round pits AMD’s desktop Ryzen 5000 processor (represented by the Ryzen 5900X) against Intel’s latest 11th-generation desktop Core processor, Rocket Lake-S. (the Core i9–11900K).

To help you determine which is better for you, we’ve summarized information from each manufacturer about the Ryzen 5000 and Rocket Lake-S chips, as well as our own conclusions based on our evaluations of each chip’s features, price, strength, and performance. However, certain considerations are beyond our jurisdiction, such as chip supply and the price gouging that can accompany it. The best chip for you may be the one you can get for the least amount of money.

Ryzen 5000 vs. Intel’s 11th-generation Heart

AMD launched the Ryzen 5000 desktop processors in October, with four versions ranging from the Ryzen 5 5600X (6 cores/12 threads, 3.7GHz base to 4.6GHz turbo, 65W TDP) to the Ryzen 9 5950X (16 cores/32 threads, 3.4GHz base to 4.9GHz turbo, 105W TDP). Since it uses the same 7nm process as its ancestor, the Ryzen 3000 series, the Ryzen 5000 is AMD’s first use of the Zen 3 microarchitecture.

Since AMD’s Ryzen 5000 uses the same AM4 socket as the Ryzen 3000, it will work with existing X570 and B550 motherboards. Only make sure your motherboard’s hardware is up to date to help it.

In March, Intel launched its 11th-generation Rocket Lake processors, which include 18 separate 11th-generation Rocket-Lake S processors. The Core i5–11400T (6 cores/12 threads, 1.3GHz base clock to 3.7GHz turbo, 35W TDP) to the Core i9–11900K (8 cores/16 threads, 3.5GHz base clock to 5.3GHz turbo, 125W TDP) are the processors on sale. Intel’s Cypress Cove CPU designs, which were originally designed for 10nm, are included in the Rocket Lake-S. Rocket Lake, on the other side, is built on 14nm, which limits it to eight cores.

The current Rocket Lake-S processors do not belong to the Core i3 family. Instead, Intel unveiled the 10th-generation Comet Lake-S lineup, which features Core i3 and Pentium processors.

Intel’s 11th-generation Rocket Lake-S chips use the existing LGA 1200 socket. This means that the chip would be backwards compatible with current 400-series motherboards, but with DDR4–3200 memory and PCIe 4.0 support. The bad news is that Intel’s next desktop processor, Alder Lake, can use an incompatible LGA 1700 socket.

Intel wins on price and availability… maybe.
The worldwide pandemic, global semiconductor production concerns, and frantic demand for PCs and semiconductors have made supply a constant concern. It’s probably too early to predict if Intel’s Rocket Lake-S would face shortages as AMD’s Ryzen 5000 did almost as soon as it was revealed.

The following are the MSRPs for AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processors:

$799 for Ryzen 9 5950X (16 cores/32 threads).
$549 for the Ryzen 9 5900X (12 cores/24 threads).
$449 for the Ryzen 7 5800X (8 cores/16 threads).
$299 for Ryzen 5 5600X (6 cores/12 threads).

At the time of publication, AMD’s Ryzen 5900X and 5950X processors were either fully sold out or costing hundreds of dollars more than their MSRPs. However, we were able to find pages, such as Newegg, that were selling the Ryzen 7 5800X for $449 or less. However, the CPU industry has been so roiled by strong demand and insufficient supply that availability can fluctuate from day to day basis.

The MSRPs for Intel’s Rocket Lake-S are listed below. Our original article on the Rocket Lake-S flight has more details on the speeds and other characteristics. Note that the “K” series chips have an open GPU for overclocking, while the “F” series chips lack an embedded GPU and must be used with a standalone graphics card. Intel’s “T” series processors are designed to be low-power.

• $539 for the Core i9–11900K (8 cores/16 threads).
• $513 for the Core i9–11900KF (8 cores/16 threads)
• $439 for the Core i9–11900 (8 cores/16 threads).
• $422 for the Core i9–11900F (8 cores/16 threads).
• $439 for the Core i9–11900T (8 cores/16 threads).
• $399 for the Core i7–11700K (8 cores/16 threads).
• $374 for the Core i7–11700KF (8 cores/16 threads)
• $323 for the Core i7–11700T (8 cores/16 threads)
• $262 for a Core i5–11600K (6 cores/12 threads)
• $237 for a Core i5–11600KF (6 cores/12 threads)
• $213 for a Core i5–11600 (6 cores/12 threads)
• $213 for a Core i5–11600T (6 cores/12 threads)
• $192 for a Core i5–11500 (6 cores/12 threads)
• $192 for a Core i5–11500T (6 cores/12 threads)
• $182 for a Core i5–11400 (6 cores/12 threads)
• $157 for a Core i5–11400F (6 cores/12 threads)
• $182 for a Core i5–11400T (6 cores/12 threads)

On paper, AMD has a simple edge in terms of cores and threads. But does it matter if you can’t find a new Ryzen? What we don’t know is if the new Rocket Lake-S chips would be just as tough to come by. (Antonline has confirmed that the Core i5–11500, Core i5–11600K, Core i7–11700, and Core I7–11700K processors are available for pre-ordering at the retailer.)