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 i5-13400F

2023

Why buy it

✅+25.9% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-11850H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11850H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i7-11850H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11850H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,873 vs 25,029).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Core i7-11850H

2021

Why buy it

✅+25.9% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-11850H.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11850H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i7-11850H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,873 vs 25,029).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Core i7-11850H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-11850H is ahead with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F pulls ahead with 25.9% better PassMark. Core i7-11850H also has the bigger cache pool with 20% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F is the better fit. You are getting 25.9% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-13400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13400F is at an unclear MSRP at $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 25.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-11850H is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-13400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787, and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i5-13400F Benchmark Check

Core i7-11850H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850H
1080p
low	171 FPS	280 FPS
medium	158 FPS	250 FPS
high	132 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	182 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	236 FPS
medium	123 FPS	190 FPS
high	99 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	165 FPS
medium	74 FPS	134 FPS
high	59 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-11850H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850H
1080p
low	545 FPS	497 FPS
medium	464 FPS	497 FPS
high	389 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	394 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	497 FPS
medium	403 FPS	460 FPS
high	345 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	333 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	337 FPS
medium	247 FPS	288 FPS
high	231 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-11850H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850H
1080p
low	530 FPS	497 FPS
medium	449 FPS	497 FPS
high	415 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	497 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	497 FPS
medium	422 FPS	497 FPS
high	382 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	487 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	497 FPS
medium	331 FPS	480 FPS
high	296 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	356 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-11850H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850H
1080p
low	626 FPS	497 FPS
medium	626 FPS	497 FPS
high	626 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	497 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	497 FPS
medium	626 FPS	497 FPS
high	598 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	497 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	497 FPS
medium	492 FPS	497 FPS
high	439 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	431 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-11850H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Core i7-11850H

Core i5-13400F

The Core i5-13400F 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, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 25,029 points. Launch price was $196.

Core i7-11850H

The Core i7-11850H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,873 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-11850H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-13400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-11850H — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-11850H (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-11850H uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Core i7-11850H's 19,873 — a 23% lead for the Core i5-13400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,407 vs 1,911, a 23% lead for the Core i5-13400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-11850H.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850H
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.8 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+20%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm SuperFin
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	25,029+26%	19,873
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407+26%	1,911
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-11850H uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-13400F versus DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-11850H — the Core i5-13400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-13400F 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 i5-13400F) and HM570,QM580,WM590 (Core i7-11850H).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850H
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i7-11850H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-11850H). The Core i7-11850H includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming, Core i7-11850H targets Workstation Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600; Core i7-11850H rivals Ryzen 7 5800H.