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: +7.4% higher average FPS across 8 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $33 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 96.1 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen 5 7400

2025

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 8 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,010 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 96.1 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 5 7400

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.4% higher average FPS across 8 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $33 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 96.1 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 8 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,010 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 96.1 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Ryzen 5 7400?

Yes. Core i5-13400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.4% average FPS lead across 8 shared CPU game tests in our data and 13.7% better PassMark, 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 7.4% more average FPS across 8 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 13.7% 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 $33 cheaper on MSRP at $196 MSRP versus $229 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.4% average FPS lead across 8 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 32.9% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 96.1 PassMark/$), 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 AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 5 7400 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 7400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023). 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 7400 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 7400
1080p
low	171 FPS	146 FPS
medium	158 FPS	121 FPS
high	132 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	132 FPS
medium	123 FPS	108 FPS
high	99 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	72 FPS
medium	74 FPS	63 FPS
high	59 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 7400

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 7400
1080p
low	545 FPS	296 FPS
medium	464 FPS	256 FPS
high	389 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	200 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	260 FPS
medium	403 FPS	230 FPS
high	345 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	182 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	204 FPS
medium	247 FPS	183 FPS
high	231 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	146 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 7400

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 7400
1080p
low	530 FPS	550 FPS
medium	449 FPS	550 FPS
high	415 FPS	550 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	550 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	550 FPS
medium	422 FPS	550 FPS
high	382 FPS	531 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	481 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	419 FPS
medium	331 FPS	349 FPS
high	296 FPS	297 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	239 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 7400

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 7400
1080p
low	626 FPS	550 FPS
medium	626 FPS	550 FPS
high	626 FPS	550 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	550 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	550 FPS
medium	626 FPS	550 FPS
high	598 FPS	550 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	533 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	550 FPS
medium	492 FPS	510 FPS
high	439 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 7400

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 5 7400

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 7400

The Ryzen 5 7400 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 September 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 22,010 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7400 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 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7400 — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-13400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7400 uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 5 7400's 22,010 — a 12.8% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7400.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 7400
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+7%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm-29%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	25,029+14%	22,010
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 7400 uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 7400
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
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 7400). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 7400
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400F launched at $196 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7400 debuted at $229. On MSRP ($196 vs $229), the Core i5-13400F is $33 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 96.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7400 — making the Core i5-13400F the 28.2% better value option.