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

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-12850HX.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12850HX across 10 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,029 vs 30,596).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i7-12850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Core i7-12850HX

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.7% higher average FPS across 10 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Core i7-12850HX

2022

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-12850HX.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.7% higher average FPS across 10 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12850HX across 10 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,029 vs 30,596).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i7-12850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-12850HX better than Core i5-13400F?

Yes. Core i7-12850HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 3.7% average FPS lead across 10 shared CPU game tests in our data and 22.2% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-12850HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.7% more average FPS across 10 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12850HX is the better fit. You are getting 22.2% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 20 MB).

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

Core i7-12850HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i7-12850HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $196 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.7% average FPS lead across 10 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds 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). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i7-12850HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-12850HX
1080p
low	171 FPS	269 FPS
medium	158 FPS	259 FPS
high	132 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	230 FPS
medium	123 FPS	198 FPS
high	99 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	159 FPS
medium	74 FPS	136 FPS
high	59 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-12850HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-12850HX
1080p
low	545 FPS	313 FPS
medium	464 FPS	265 FPS
high	389 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	205 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	258 FPS
medium	403 FPS	228 FPS
high	345 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	173 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	159 FPS
medium	247 FPS	142 FPS
high	231 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	120 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-12850HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-12850HX
1080p
low	530 FPS	765 FPS
medium	449 FPS	616 FPS
high	415 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	462 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	692 FPS
medium	422 FPS	554 FPS
high	382 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	416 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	498 FPS
medium	331 FPS	416 FPS
high	296 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	314 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-12850HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-12850HX
1080p
low	626 FPS	765 FPS
medium	626 FPS	765 FPS
high	626 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	597 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	742 FPS
medium	626 FPS	658 FPS
high	598 FPS	566 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	522 FPS
medium	492 FPS	473 FPS
high	439 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	364 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-12850HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Core i7-12850HX

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 i7-12850HX

The Core i7-12850HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 May 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,596 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-12850HX offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i7-12850HX has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-12850HX — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-12850HX (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 i7-12850HX uses Alder Lake-HX (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Core i7-12850HX's 30,596 — a 20% lead for the Core i7-12850HX. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12850HX.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-12850HX
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	16 / 24+60%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.8 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	25 MB (total)+25%
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-HX (2022)
PassMark	25,029	30,596+22%
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-12850HX uses FCBGA1964 (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 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-12850HX
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1964
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-12850HX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i7-12850HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-12850HX includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming, Core i7-12850HX targets Mobile Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.