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

✅+2% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $204 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 108.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Ryzen 7 7840U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,547 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 7 7840U

2023

Why buy it

✅+2% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $204 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 108.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,547 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Ryzen 7 7840U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 7840U is ahead with a 14.9% 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 2% better PassMark. Core i5-13400F also has the bigger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 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 2% 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 $204 cheaper on MSRP at $196 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you 2% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 7840U is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 14.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 108.1% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 61.4 PassMark/$), 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 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 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

Ryzen 7 7840U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	171 FPS	257 FPS
medium	158 FPS	237 FPS
high	132 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	228 FPS
medium	123 FPS	191 FPS
high	99 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	159 FPS
medium	74 FPS	134 FPS
high	59 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	545 FPS	477 FPS
medium	464 FPS	395 FPS
high	389 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	306 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	417 FPS
medium	403 FPS	364 FPS
high	345 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	270 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	275 FPS
medium	247 FPS	251 FPS
high	231 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	206 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	530 FPS	614 FPS
medium	449 FPS	614 FPS
high	415 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	595 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	614 FPS
medium	422 FPS	614 FPS
high	382 FPS	526 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	452 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	525 FPS
medium	331 FPS	459 FPS
high	296 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	345 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	626 FPS	614 FPS
medium	626 FPS	614 FPS
high	626 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	614 FPS
medium	626 FPS	614 FPS
high	598 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	549 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	560 FPS
medium	492 FPS	502 FPS
high	439 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	384 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 7 7840U

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 7 7840U

The Ryzen 7 7840U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Maio 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600. Passmark benchmark score: 24,547 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7840U 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 Ryzen 7 7840U — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840U (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 7 7840U uses Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 7 7840U's 24,547 — a 1.9% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7840U.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.1 GHz+11%
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	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	25,029+2%	24,547
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 7 7840U uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
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 7 7840U). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
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 7 7840U debuted at $400. On MSRP ($196 vs $400), the Core i5-13400F is $204 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 61.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7840U — making the Core i5-13400F the 70.2% better value option.