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: +28.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $236 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $432 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 38.4 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $432 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-1260P.

Trade-offs

❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-1260P can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-1260P

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU, 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 Geekbench multi-core (9,532 vs 11,408).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($432 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Core i7-1260P

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $236 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $432 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 38.4 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $432 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-1260P.

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-1260P 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 Geekbench multi-core (9,532 vs 11,408).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($432 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Core i7-1260P?

Yes. Core i5-13400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 28.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 19.7% better Geekbench multi-core, 50.8% 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 i5-13400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 28.6% 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 19.7% better Geekbench multi-core, 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 $236 cheaper on MSRP at $196 MSRP versus $432 MSRP, and it gives you a 28.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 232.5% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 38.4 PassMark/$), 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 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 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 i5-13400F Benchmark Check

Core i7-1260P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-1260P
1080p
low	171 FPS	170 FPS
medium	158 FPS	154 FPS
high	132 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	143 FPS
medium	123 FPS	123 FPS
high	99 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	74 FPS	74 FPS
high	59 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-1260P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-1260P
1080p
low	545 FPS	314 FPS
medium	464 FPS	268 FPS
high	389 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	205 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	265 FPS
medium	403 FPS	233 FPS
high	345 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	175 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	163 FPS
medium	247 FPS	145 FPS
high	231 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	122 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-1260P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-1260P
1080p
low	530 FPS	415 FPS
medium	449 FPS	415 FPS
high	415 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	415 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	415 FPS
medium	422 FPS	415 FPS
high	382 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	408 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	415 FPS
medium	331 FPS	414 FPS
high	296 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	310 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-1260P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-1260P
1080p
low	626 FPS	415 FPS
medium	626 FPS	415 FPS
high	626 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	415 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	415 FPS
medium	626 FPS	415 FPS
high	598 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	415 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	415 FPS
medium	492 FPS	415 FPS
high	439 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	364 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-1260P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Core i7-1260P

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 i7-1260P

The Core i7-1260P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 February 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-P (2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 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): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 16,592 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-1260P offers 12 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-1260P has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-1260P — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-1260P (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 i7-1260P uses Alder Lake-P (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Core i7-1260P's 16,592 — a 40.5% lead for the Core i5-13400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,407 vs 2,424, a 0.7% lead for the Core i7-1260P that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,408 vs 9,532 (17.9% advantage for the Core i5-13400F). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i7-1260P.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-1260P
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	12 / 16+20%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+11%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Alder Lake-P (2022)
PassMark	25,029+51%	16,592
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	2,424
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408+20%	9,532

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-1260P uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Core i5-13400F 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: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-13400F) and Adler Lake-P PCH (Core i7-1260P).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-1260P
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+200%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-1260P includes integrated graphics (Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming, Core i7-1260P targets High Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-1260P
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	High Performance Laptop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400F launched at $196 MSRP, while the Core i7-1260P debuted at $432. On MSRP ($196 vs $432), the Core i5-13400F is $236 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 38.4 pts/$ for the Core i7-1260P — making the Core i5-13400F the 107.5% better value option.