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

✅Better for gaming: +17.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $204 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 139.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 53.4 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-11850HE.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 24 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11850HE

2021

Why buy it

✅+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 i5-13400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,365 vs 25,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 53.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌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 i7-11850HE

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $204 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 139.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 53.4 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-11850HE.

Why buy it

✅+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

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 24 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,365 vs 25,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 53.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌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 i7-11850HE?

Yes. Core i5-13400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 17.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 17.1% better 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 i5-13400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.8% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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 17.1% 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 $204 cheaper on MSRP at $196 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 139.1% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 53.4 PassMark/$), 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 i7-11850HE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	171 FPS	165 FPS
medium	158 FPS	145 FPS
high	132 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	141 FPS
medium	123 FPS	120 FPS
high	99 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	77 FPS
medium	74 FPS	71 FPS
high	59 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	44 FPS

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

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	545 FPS	297 FPS
medium	464 FPS	257 FPS
high	389 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	196 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	255 FPS
medium	403 FPS	228 FPS
high	345 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	158 FPS
medium	247 FPS	143 FPS
high	231 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	119 FPS

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

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	530 FPS	534 FPS
medium	449 FPS	534 FPS
high	415 FPS	524 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	419 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	534 FPS
medium	422 FPS	518 FPS
high	382 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	444 FPS
medium	331 FPS	375 FPS
high	296 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	268 FPS

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

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	626 FPS	534 FPS
medium	626 FPS	534 FPS
high	626 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	534 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	534 FPS
medium	626 FPS	534 FPS
high	598 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	534 FPS
medium	492 FPS	482 FPS
high	439 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	373 FPS

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

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 i7-11850HE

The Core i7-11850HE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 August 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,365 points. Launch price was $400.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-11850HE 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 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-11850HE — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-11850HE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-11850HE uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Core i7-11850HE's 21,365 — a 15.8% lead for the Core i5-13400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,407 vs 1,984, a 19.3% 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 i7-11850HE.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850HE
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 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
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	25,029+17%	21,365
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407+21%	1,984
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-11850HE 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 i7-11850HE — 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 RM590E,QM580E (Core i7-11850HE).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850HE
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

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i7-11850HE 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 i7-11850HE). The Core i7-11850HE includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming, Core i7-11850HE targets Embedded/Industrial. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600; Core i7-11850HE rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-11850HE
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming	Embedded/Industrial

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400F launched at $196 MSRP, while the Core i7-11850HE debuted at $400. On MSRP ($196 vs $400), the Core i5-13400F is $204 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 53.4 pts/$ for the Core i7-11850HE — making the Core i5-13400F the 82% better value option.