Intel Core i5-11600K Processor

The Intel Core i5-11600K Processor — 6 cores and 12 threads, 3.9 GHz base rising to 4.9 GHz with Turbo Boost, 12 MB Intel Smart Cache, 125 W processor base power, LGA1200. Supplied from stock with a 1-year warranty.

The unlocked Rocket Lake, 4.9 GHz

The i5-11600K is the enthusiast Rocket Lake i5: six cores, twelve threads, 3.90 GHz base with a 4.90 GHz Turbo, an unlocked multiplier and a 125 W envelope, launched Q1 2021. Its Cypress Cove cores delivered roughly 19% more per-clock than Comet Lake, and it added PCIe 4.0 plus the UHD 750 graphics engine.

In gaming it traded blows with processors a tier above it, and in single-threaded work it was the fastest i5 of its generation. Overclocking requires a Z590 (or Z490 after BIOS update) board; B560/H510 run it at stock. Power draw under all-core loads reaches 200 W-plus when unlocked.

Technical specifications

Instruction set extensions: Intel SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX and AVX2. Security and virtualisation: AES-NI, Intel VT-x with EPT and VT-d.

Which systems take this processor

Anything on the LGA1200 socket with an Intel 500 or 400 series chipset: H510, B560, Z590, plus Z490, H470, Q470 and W480 after a BIOS update. 11th Generation parts run natively on 500 series boards; Z490 and H470 boards take them after a BIOS update, while H410 and B460 boards do not support 11th Generation parts at all.

• Business desktops and SFF machines — Dell OptiPlex 3090 / 5090 / 7090, HP EliteDesk 800 G7 / ProDesk 600 G7, Lenovo ThinkCentre M70s / M90s. The 65 W envelope is what these chassis were designed around.
• Entry workstations — HP Z1 G8, Dell Precision 3650, Lenovo ThinkStation P350, where six cores with Hyper-Threading and PCIe 4.0 cover office, CAD and light simulation work.
• Micro-server and NAS builds — W480 and W580-class boards accept Core i5 parts with ECC UDIMMs; Rocket Lake added PCIe 4.0, which matters for NVMe-heavy builds.

One caveat when buying a board separately: 400 series boards need a BIOS update before an 11th Generation part will POST, and H410 / B460 boards do not support 11th Generation at all — check the board, not just the socket. Tell us the model and we will confirm before you order.

How it compares across the i5 line

The 12600K is the Alder Lake successor: ten hybrid cores, sixteen threads, 4.90 GHz Turbo and DDR5 — a platform change rather than a bin change. For locked-clock builds the 11500 gives the same architecture at 65 W.

How each processor is tested before it ships

1. Visual inspection of the integrated heat spreader, substrate and contact pads; the sSpec laser marking (SRKNU on our i5-11600K stock) is verified against the Intel specification sheet.
2. Burn-in on a matched diagnostic board with a pair of memory modules of the correct type for this platform.
3. All populated memory channels and the primary PCIe lanes are validated, then the processor is identified in the BIOS and in the operating system.
4. A sustained multi-threaded load test at full core count, with the clock and thermal readings recorded.
5. Thermal paste cleaned off, final inspection, then packaging in an anti-static tray with foam — which is how it arrives to you.

Warranty and lead time

Every processor is covered by a 1-year warranty against defects in workmanship and function. If a part fails within the period we replace it or refund it, and we cover return shipping on a verified fault. Stock is held in our own warehouse and normally dispatches within three to seven working days; tracking is issued at dispatch.

Purchasing and volume enquiries

The minimum order quantity for this processor is 2 units. Price is quotation-based rather than listed, because CPU pricing moves with each incoming batch — send us the quantity you need and we will come back with a firm quote and the current lead time. Larger quantities ship from the same production batch so the sSpec and the stepping stay consistent across your order.