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: +20.6% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-10980HK.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i9-10980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,037 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.6% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-10980HK.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i9-10980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,037 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 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 i9-10980HK?

Yes. Core i5-13400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 20.6% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 46.9% 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 20.6% more average FPS across 3 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 46.9% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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 $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 20.6% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB), 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 i9-10980HK Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-10980HK
1080p
low	171 FPS	267 FPS
medium	158 FPS	239 FPS
high	132 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	229 FPS
medium	123 FPS	185 FPS
high	99 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	160 FPS
medium	74 FPS	130 FPS
high	59 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-10980HK

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-10980HK
1080p
low	545 FPS	426 FPS
medium	464 FPS	359 FPS
high	389 FPS	312 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	273 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	402 FPS
medium	403 FPS	335 FPS
high	345 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	243 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	268 FPS
medium	247 FPS	232 FPS
high	231 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	184 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-10980HK

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-10980HK
1080p
low	530 FPS	426 FPS
medium	449 FPS	426 FPS
high	415 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	426 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	426 FPS
medium	422 FPS	426 FPS
high	382 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	426 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	426 FPS
medium	331 FPS	426 FPS
high	296 FPS	393 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	329 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-10980HK

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-10980HK
1080p
low	626 FPS	426 FPS
medium	626 FPS	426 FPS
high	626 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	426 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	426 FPS
medium	626 FPS	426 FPS
high	598 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	426 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	426 FPS
medium	492 FPS	426 FPS
high	439 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-10980HK

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Core i9-10980HK

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 i9-10980HK

The Core i9-10980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,037 points. Launch price was $583.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i9-10980HK 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 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-10980HK uses Comet Lake-H (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Core i9-10980HK's 17,037 — a 38% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-10980HK
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.1 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+4%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Comet Lake-H (2020)
PassMark	25,029+47%	17,037
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 i9-10980HK uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-10980HK
Socket	LGA1700	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) / not specified (Core i9-10980HK). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.