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: +95.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium Gold 8505.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 8505 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium Gold 8505 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Pentium Gold 8505

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, 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 (4,055 vs 11,408).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 20 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Pentium Gold 8505

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +95.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium Gold 8505.

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 8505 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium Gold 8505 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 (4,055 vs 11,408).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 20 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Pentium Gold 8505?

Yes. Core i5-13400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 95.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 181.3% better Geekbench multi-core, 173.0% 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 i5-13400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 95.3% 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 181.3% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 150% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 8 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 $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 95.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2022), 150% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 5/6. 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

Pentium Gold 8505 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Pentium Gold 8505
1080p
low	171 FPS	182 FPS
medium	158 FPS	145 FPS
high	132 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	150 FPS
medium	123 FPS	118 FPS
high	99 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	84 FPS
medium	74 FPS	72 FPS
high	59 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Pentium Gold 8505

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Pentium Gold 8505
1080p
low	545 FPS	229 FPS
medium	464 FPS	229 FPS
high	389 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	200 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	229 FPS
medium	403 FPS	228 FPS
high	345 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	177 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	218 FPS
medium	247 FPS	183 FPS
high	231 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	128 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Pentium Gold 8505

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Pentium Gold 8505
1080p
low	530 FPS	229 FPS
medium	449 FPS	229 FPS
high	415 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	229 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	229 FPS
medium	422 FPS	229 FPS
high	382 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	229 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	229 FPS
medium	331 FPS	229 FPS
high	296 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	168 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Pentium Gold 8505

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Pentium Gold 8505
1080p
low	626 FPS	229 FPS
medium	626 FPS	229 FPS
high	626 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	229 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	229 FPS
medium	626 FPS	229 FPS
high	598 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	229 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	229 FPS
medium	492 FPS	229 FPS
high	439 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Pentium Gold 8505

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Pentium Gold 8505

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.

Pentium Gold 8505

The Pentium Gold 8505 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Max frequency: 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200, LPDDR5-5200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 9,167 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Pentium Gold 8505 offers 5 cores / 6 threads — the Core i5-13400F has 5 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 8505 — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-13400F. The Core i5-13400F is built on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Pentium Gold 8505's 9,167 — a 92.8% lead for the Core i5-13400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,407 vs 1,550, a 43.3% lead for the Core i5-13400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,408 vs 4,055 (95.1% advantage for the Core i5-13400F). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Pentium Gold 8505.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Pentium Gold 8505
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+100%	5 / 6
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+5%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	—
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+150%	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	—
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	—
PassMark	25,029+173%	9,167
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407+55%	1,550
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408+181%	4,055

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Pentium Gold 8505 uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 4.0) — 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 SoC (Pentium Gold 8505).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Pentium Gold 8505
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
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

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Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) vs Yes (Pentium Gold 8505). The Pentium Gold 8505 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics), 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.