PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i3-13100E

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $209 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $359 MSRP).
✅Delivers 142.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 91.5 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $359 MSRP).
✅Draws 60W instead of 95W, a 35W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-8700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i7-8700K

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,572 vs 13,727).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 91.5 PassMark/$ ($359 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌58.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 60W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core i3-13100E moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i3-13100E.

Core i3-13100E

2023

Core i7-8700K

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $209 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $359 MSRP).
✅Delivers 142.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 91.5 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $359 MSRP).
✅Draws 60W instead of 95W, a 35W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-8700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,572 vs 13,727).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 91.5 PassMark/$ ($359 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌58.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 60W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core i3-13100E moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i3-13100E.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-13100E better than Core i7-8700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-8700K is ahead with a 19.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-13100E pulls ahead with 1.1% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-13100E is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i3-13100E is the smarter buy today. Core i3-13100E is $209 cheaper on MSRP at $150 MSRP versus $359 MSRP, and it gives you 1.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-8700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 19.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 142.1% better value on MSRP (91.5 vs 37.8 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i3-13100E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2017), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 6/12. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-13100E Benchmark Check

Core i7-8700K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-13100E	Core i7-8700K
1080p
low	165 FPS	214 FPS
medium	146 FPS	173 FPS
high	119 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	181 FPS
medium	119 FPS	145 FPS
high	96 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	92 FPS
medium	69 FPS	79 FPS
high	55 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	48 FPS

Open Core i3-13100E Open Core i7-8700K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-13100E	Core i7-8700K
1080p
low	280 FPS	339 FPS
medium	235 FPS	339 FPS
high	216 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	275 FPS
1440p
low	250 FPS	339 FPS
medium	210 FPS	326 FPS
high	198 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	250 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	334 FPS
medium	165 FPS	276 FPS
high	139 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	204 FPS

Open Core i3-13100E Open Core i7-8700K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-13100E	Core i7-8700K
1080p
low	343 FPS	339 FPS
medium	343 FPS	339 FPS
high	343 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	339 FPS
1440p
low	343 FPS	339 FPS
medium	343 FPS	339 FPS
high	343 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	343 FPS	339 FPS
medium	343 FPS	339 FPS
high	343 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i3-13100E Open Core i7-8700K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-13100E	Core i7-8700K
1080p
low	343 FPS	339 FPS
medium	343 FPS	339 FPS
high	343 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	339 FPS
1440p
low	343 FPS	339 FPS
medium	343 FPS	339 FPS
high	343 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	343 FPS	339 FPS
medium	343 FPS	339 FPS
high	343 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	339 FPS

Open Core i3-13100E Open Core i7-8700K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-13100E and Core i7-8700K

Core i3-13100E

The Core i3-13100E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 13,727 points. Launch price was $480.

Core i7-8700K

The Core i7-8700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 12288 kB. L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,572 points. Launch price was $359.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-13100E packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-8700K offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-8700K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i3-13100E versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-8700K — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-8700K (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i3-13100E uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i7-8700K uses Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-13100E scores 13,727 against the Core i7-8700K's 13,572 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i3-13100E. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i3-13100E vs 12288 kB on the Core i7-8700K.

Feature	Core i3-13100E	Core i7-8700K
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+7%
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	3.7 GHz+12%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12288 kB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)
PassMark	13,727+1%	13,572
Geekbench 6 Single	2,001	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,025	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-13100E uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-8700K uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800 on the Core i3-13100E versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-8700K — the Core i3-13100E supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i3-13100E) vs 16 (Core i7-8700K) — the Core i3-13100E offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Q670,W680,Z690,Z790 (Core i3-13100E) and Intel 300 series (Core i7-8700K).

Feature	Core i3-13100E	Core i7-8700K
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Core i3-13100E) / not specified (Core i7-8700K). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 730 (Core i3-13100E) and Intel UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-8700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Core i3-13100E	Core i7-8700K
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 730	Intel UHD Graphics 630
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	Yes	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-13100E launched at $150 MSRP, while the Core i7-8700K debuted at $359. On MSRP ($150 vs $359), the Core i3-13100E is $209 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-13100E delivers 91.5 pts/$ vs 37.8 pts/$ for the Core i7-8700K — making the Core i3-13100E the 83.1% better value option.