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

✅Costs $196 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $392 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 111.1 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $392 MSRP).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-13790F.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13790F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,211 vs 26,247).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 33 MB).

Core i7-13790F

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 111.1 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($392 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Core i7-13790F

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $196 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $392 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 111.1 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $392 MSRP).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-13790F.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13790F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,211 vs 26,247).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 33 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 111.1 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($392 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13790F better than Core i5-13400F?

Yes. Core i7-13790F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 35.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 61.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 74.0% 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 i7-13790F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 35.2% 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 i7-13790F is the better fit. You are getting 61.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB).

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

Core i7-13790F is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i7-13790F is 100.0% more expensive on MSRP at $392 MSRP versus $196 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13400F is also 14.9% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 111.1 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13790F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 65% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 20 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 10/16. 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 i7-13790F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-13790F
1080p
low	171 FPS	276 FPS
medium	158 FPS	258 FPS
high	132 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	256 FPS
medium	123 FPS	215 FPS
high	99 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	148 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	173 FPS
medium	74 FPS	145 FPS
high	59 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	97 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-13790F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-13790F
1080p
low	545 FPS	361 FPS
medium	464 FPS	309 FPS
high	389 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	233 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	314 FPS
medium	403 FPS	278 FPS
high	345 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	199 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	186 FPS
medium	247 FPS	168 FPS
high	231 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	138 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-13790F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-13790F
1080p
low	530 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	449 FPS	1011 FPS
high	415 FPS	933 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	803 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	969 FPS
medium	422 FPS	858 FPS
high	382 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	588 FPS
medium	331 FPS	506 FPS
high	296 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	387 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-13790F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-13790F
1080p
low	626 FPS	1089 FPS
medium	626 FPS	1015 FPS
high	626 FPS	876 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	767 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	960 FPS
medium	626 FPS	844 FPS
high	598 FPS	722 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	620 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	684 FPS
medium	492 FPS	605 FPS
high	439 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i7-13790F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Core i7-13790F

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 i7-13790F

The Core i7-13790F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 43,549 points. Launch price was $441.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-13790F offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i7-13790F has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i7-13790F — a 12.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-13790F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). Both are built on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture using a Intel 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Core i7-13790F's 43,549 — a 54% lead for the Core i7-13790F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 16,211 vs 26,247 (47.3% advantage for the Core i7-13790F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,407 vs 2,815, a 15.6% lead for the Core i7-13790F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,408 vs 13,673 (18.1% advantage for the Core i7-13790F). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 33 MB (total) on the Core i7-13790F.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-13790F
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	16 / 24+60%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.2 GHz+13%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	33 MB (total)+65%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)
PassMark	25,029	43,549+74%
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	26,247+62%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	2,815+17%
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	13,673+20%

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 192 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13400F) vs 16 (Core i7-13790F) — the Core i5-13400F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-13400F) and Z790,B760 (Core i7-13790F).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-13790F
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	192 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i7-13790F supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i7-13790F
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400F launched at $196 MSRP, while the Core i7-13790F debuted at $392. On MSRP ($196 vs $392), the Core i5-13400F is $196 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 111.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-13790F — making the Core i5-13400F the 13.9% better value option.