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 i5-12500H

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 11 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,900 vs 18,980).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 30 MB).

Core i7-13700K

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.9% higher average FPS across 11 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core i5-12500H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Core i5-12500H

2022

Core i7-13700K

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.9% higher average FPS across 11 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 11 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,900 vs 18,980).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 30 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core i5-12500H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. Core i7-13700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 20.9% average FPS lead across 11 shared CPU game tests in our data, 91.7% better Geekbench multi-core, 123.8% 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 20.9% more average FPS across 11 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 91.7% better Geekbench 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 at an unclear MSRP at $409 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 20.9% average FPS lead across 11 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 12/16. 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 i5-12500H Benchmark Check

Core i7-13700K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12500H	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	169 FPS	284 FPS
medium	153 FPS	268 FPS
high	125 FPS	223 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	238 FPS
medium	122 FPS	200 FPS
high	99 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	159 FPS
medium	74 FPS	134 FPS
high	59 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i5-12500H Open Core i7-13700K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12500H	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	512 FPS	689 FPS
medium	484 FPS	580 FPS
high	406 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	439 FPS
1440p
low	477 FPS	595 FPS
medium	421 FPS	525 FPS
high	361 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	316 FPS	378 FPS
4K
low	291 FPS	348 FPS
medium	259 FPS	314 FPS
high	243 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	261 FPS

Open Core i5-12500H Open Core i7-13700K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12500H	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	512 FPS	648 FPS
medium	512 FPS	530 FPS
high	477 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	512 FPS	591 FPS
medium	475 FPS	491 FPS
high	427 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	371 FPS
4K
low	449 FPS	434 FPS
medium	368 FPS	374 FPS
high	327 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	267 FPS	290 FPS

Open Core i5-12500H Open Core i7-13700K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12500H	Core i7-13700K
1080p
low	512 FPS	970 FPS
medium	512 FPS	883 FPS
high	512 FPS	766 FPS
ultra	512 FPS	689 FPS
1440p
low	512 FPS	829 FPS
medium	512 FPS	740 FPS
high	512 FPS	642 FPS
ultra	492 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	507 FPS	567 FPS
medium	463 FPS	515 FPS
high	414 FPS	463 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	404 FPS

Open Core i5-12500H Open Core i7-13700K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

Core i5-12500H

The Core i5-12500H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,462 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 i5-12500H packs 12 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-13700K offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i5-12500H versus 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i5-12500H uses the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-13700K uses Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12500H scores 20,462 against the Core i7-13700K's 45,784 — a 76.4% lead for the Core i7-13700K. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,260 vs 2,846, a 23% lead for the Core i7-13700K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,900 vs 18,980 (62.9% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12500H vs 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K.

Feature	Core i5-12500H	Core i7-13700K
Cores / Threads	12 / 16	16 / 24+33%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5.4 GHz+20%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.4 GHz+36%
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-H (2022)	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)
PassMark	20,462	45,784+124%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	31,000
Geekbench 6 Single	2,260	2,846+26%
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,900	18,980+92%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12500H uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i7-13700K uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Core i7-13700K supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Adler Lake-H PCH (Core i5-12500H) and Intel Z790,Intel H770,Intel B760,Intel Z690,Intel H670,Intel B660,Intel H610 (Core i7-13700K).

Feature	Core i5-12500H	Core i7-13700K
Socket	FCBGA1744	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	192 GB+200%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	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 i5-12500H) vs true (Core i7-13700K). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Iris Xe Graphics 80EU (Core i5-12500H) 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 i5-12500H targets Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i5-12500H	Core i7-13700K
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel Iris Xe Graphics 80EU	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	Performance Laptop	—