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

✅+21.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $358 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅Delivers 243.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 37.2 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-13900TE.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 36 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-13900TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i9-13900TE

2023

Why buy it

✅+80% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,602 vs 25,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.2 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($554 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Core i9-13900TE

2023

Why buy it

✅+21.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $358 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅Delivers 243.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 37.2 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-13900TE.

Why buy it

✅+80% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 36 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-13900TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,602 vs 25,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.2 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($554 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Core i9-13900TE?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-13900TE is ahead with a 0.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F pulls ahead with 21.5% better PassMark. Core i9-13900TE also has the bigger cache pool with 80% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 20 MB).

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 21.5% 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 $358 cheaper on MSRP at $196 MSRP versus $554 MSRP, and it gives you 21.5% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-13900TE is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 243.4% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 37.2 PassMark/$), 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 i9-13900TE is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 i9-13900TE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-13900TE
1080p
low	171 FPS	306 FPS
medium	158 FPS	288 FPS
high	132 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	268 FPS
medium	123 FPS	229 FPS
high	99 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	184 FPS
medium	74 FPS	157 FPS
high	59 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	106 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-13900TE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-13900TE
1080p
low	545 FPS	415 FPS
medium	464 FPS	363 FPS
high	389 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	352 FPS
medium	403 FPS	316 FPS
high	345 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	212 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	198 FPS
medium	247 FPS	180 FPS
high	231 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	146 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-13900TE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-13900TE
1080p
low	530 FPS	515 FPS
medium	449 FPS	515 FPS
high	415 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	483 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	515 FPS
medium	422 FPS	515 FPS
high	382 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	427 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	510 FPS
medium	331 FPS	429 FPS
high	296 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	321 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-13900TE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-13900TE
1080p
low	626 FPS	515 FPS
medium	626 FPS	515 FPS
high	626 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	515 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	515 FPS
medium	626 FPS	515 FPS
high	598 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	515 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	515 FPS
medium	492 FPS	515 FPS
high	439 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-13900TE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Core i9-13900TE

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 i9-13900TE

The Core i9-13900TE 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 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 20,602 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i9-13900TE offers 24 cores / 32 threads — the Core i9-13900TE has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-13900TE — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-13900TE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 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 i9-13900TE's 20,602 — a 19.4% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-13900TE.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-13900TE
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	24 / 32+140%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+150%	1 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	36 MB (total)+80%
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+21%	20,602
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0. 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. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-13400F) and LGA1700 (Core i9-13900TE).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-13900TE
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+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i9-13900TE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i9-13900TE includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-13900TE
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 770
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 i9-13900TE debuted at $554. On MSRP ($196 vs $554), the Core i5-13400F is $358 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 37.2 pts/$ for the Core i9-13900TE — making the Core i5-13400F the 109.8% better value option.