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 i5-12500

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $197 less on MSRP ($212 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-13700K.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,978 vs 31,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 93.1 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($212 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).

Core i7-13700K

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.8% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 20.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 93.1 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $212 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
92.9% HIGHER MSRP
$409 MSRPvs$212 MSRP
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12500.

Core i5-12500

2022

Core i7-13700K

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $197 less on MSRP ($212 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-13700K.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.8% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 20.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 93.1 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $212 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,978 vs 31,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 93.1 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($212 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
92.9% HIGHER MSRP
$409 MSRPvs$212 MSRP
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12500.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Core i5-12500?

Yes. Core i7-13700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 19.8% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data, 138.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 131.9% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-13700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 19.8% more average FPS across 49 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13700K is the better fit. You are getting 138.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Core i7-13700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700K is 92.9% more expensive on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $212 MSRP, and it gives you a 19.8% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 20.2% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 93.1 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-12500 Benchmark Check

Core i7-13700K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12500	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	186 FPS	284 FPS
medium	170 FPS	268 FPS
high	142 FPS	223 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	238 FPS
medium	133 FPS	200 FPS
high	107 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	159 FPS
medium	81 FPS	134 FPS
high	65 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Core i7-13700K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12500	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	493 FPS	689 FPS
medium	428 FPS	580 FPS
high	362 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	439 FPS
1440p
low	433 FPS	595 FPS
medium	373 FPS	525 FPS
high	324 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	278 FPS	378 FPS
4K
low	289 FPS	348 FPS
medium	254 FPS	314 FPS
high	234 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	261 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Core i7-13700K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12500	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	493 FPS	648 FPS
medium	493 FPS	530 FPS
high	493 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	493 FPS	591 FPS
medium	493 FPS	491 FPS
high	491 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	440 FPS	371 FPS
4K
low	456 FPS	434 FPS
medium	401 FPS	374 FPS
high	345 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	290 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Core i7-13700K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12500	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	493 FPS	970 FPS
medium	493 FPS	883 FPS
high	493 FPS	766 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	689 FPS
1440p
low	493 FPS	829 FPS
medium	493 FPS	740 FPS
high	493 FPS	642 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	493 FPS	567 FPS
medium	482 FPS	515 FPS
high	422 FPS	463 FPS
ultra	355 FPS	404 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Core i7-13700K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12500 and Core i7-13700K

Core i5-12500

The Core i5-12500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,739 points. Launch price was $299.

Core i7-13700K

The Core i7-13700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 45,784 points. Launch price was $409.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-13700K offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-12500 versus 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K — a 16% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i5-12500 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-13700K uses Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12500 scores 19,739 against the Core i7-13700K's 45,784 — a 79.5% lead for the Core i7-13700K. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,978 vs 31,000 (82% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,319 vs 2,846, a 20.4% lead for the Core i7-13700K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,003 vs 18,980 (71.3% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12500 vs 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K.

Feature	Core i5-12500	Core i7-13700K
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 24+167%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.4 GHz+17%
Base Clock	3 GHz	3.4 GHz+13%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+67%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)
PassMark	19,739	45,784+132%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,978	31,000+139%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,319	2,846+23%
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,003	18,980+111%

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 4.0. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Core i7-13700K supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12500) and Intel Z790,Intel H770,Intel B760,Intel Z690,Intel H670,Intel B660,Intel H610 (Core i7-13700K).

Feature	Core i5-12500	Core i7-13700K
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-13700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12500) vs true (Core i7-13700K). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i5-12500) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-13700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12500 targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i5-12500 rivals Ryzen 5 5500; Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i5-12500	Core i7-13700K
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	Productivity	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12500 launched at $212 MSRP, while the Core i7-13700K debuted at $409. On MSRP ($212 vs $409), the Core i5-12500 is $197 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12500 delivers 93.1 pts/$ vs 111.9 pts/$ for the Core i7-13700K — making the Core i7-13700K the 18.4% better value option.