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: +46.0% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 2600E.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 2600E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Ryzen 5 2600E

2018

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,346 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 5 2600E

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +46.0% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 2600E.

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 2600E 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 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,346 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Older platform position on AM4 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 Ryzen 5 2600E?

Yes. Core i5-13400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 46.0% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 102.7% 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 46.0% more average FPS across 5 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 102.7% 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 $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 46.0% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 2600E can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4, 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. 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

Ryzen 5 2600E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	171 FPS	176 FPS
medium	158 FPS	154 FPS
high	132 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	145 FPS
medium	123 FPS	122 FPS
high	99 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	66 FPS
medium	74 FPS	59 FPS
high	59 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	545 FPS	252 FPS
medium	464 FPS	219 FPS
high	389 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	156 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	227 FPS
medium	403 FPS	199 FPS
high	345 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	145 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	178 FPS
medium	247 FPS	160 FPS
high	231 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	106 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	530 FPS	309 FPS
medium	449 FPS	309 FPS
high	415 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	309 FPS
medium	422 FPS	309 FPS
high	382 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	309 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	309 FPS
medium	331 FPS	292 FPS
high	296 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	200 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 2600E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	626 FPS	309 FPS
medium	626 FPS	309 FPS
high	626 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	309 FPS
medium	626 FPS	309 FPS
high	598 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	309 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	309 FPS
medium	492 FPS	309 FPS
high	439 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	309 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 5 2600E

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.

Ryzen 5 2600E

The Ryzen 5 2600E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 12,346 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 2600E offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-13400F has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600E — a 14% clock advantage for the Core i5-13400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 2600E uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 5 2600E's 12,346 — a 67.9% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2600E.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 2600E
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+15%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.1 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	25,029+103%	12,346
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 Ryzen 5 2600E uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 2600E
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
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 (Ryzen 5 2600E). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.