Core i5-13400 vs Ryzen 7 8840U

Core i5-13400 vs Ryzen 7 8840U Performance Spectrum

Core i5-13400

10 / 16

23,769

+1.5%

23,415

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

About PassMark

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.

Core i5-13400 vs Ryzen 7 8840U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i5-13400 vs Ryzen 7 8840U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-13400

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8840U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $221 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 8840U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Ryzen 7 8840U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,415 vs 23,769).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400 better than Ryzen 7 8840U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Ryzen 7 8840U is ahead with a 17.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400 pulls ahead with 1.5% better PassMark. Core i5-13400 also has the bigger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core i5-13400 is the better buy right now. Core i5-13400 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $221 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.5% better PassMark. The compromise is that Ryzen 7 8840U is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 17.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (107.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Core i5-13400 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i5-13400 vs Ryzen 7 8840U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i5-13400

The Core i5-13400 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 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 20 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: 23,769 points. Launch price was $221.

Ryzen 7 8840U

The Ryzen 7 8840U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,415 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400 packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 7 8840U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-13400 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400 versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8840U — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8840U (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-13400 uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 8840U uses Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400 scores 23,769 against the Ryzen 7 8840U's 23,415 — a 1.5% lead for the Core i5-13400. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8840U.

Feature	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 8840U
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.1 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)
PassMark	23,769+2%	23,415

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 8840U uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.