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

✅Costs $303 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 96.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 65.2 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 3900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (11,408 vs 12,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 64 MB).

Ryzen 9 3900X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+220% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 20 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 65.2 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 9 3900X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $303 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 96.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 65.2 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+220% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 20 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 3900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (11,408 vs 12,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 64 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 65.2 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 3900X better than Core i5-13400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 3900X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 37.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 5.2% better Geekbench multi-core, and 29.9% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 3900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 37.6% 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, Ryzen 9 3900X is the better fit. You are getting 5.2% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 220% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 20 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 9 3900X is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 3900X is 154.6% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $196 MSRP, and it gives you a 37.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13400F is also 96.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 65.2 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i5-13400F 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 2019) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 9 3900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	171 FPS	209 FPS
medium	158 FPS	170 FPS
high	132 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	114 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	171 FPS
medium	123 FPS	131 FPS
high	99 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	92 FPS
medium	74 FPS	77 FPS
high	59 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	49 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	545 FPS	781 FPS
medium	464 FPS	654 FPS
high	389 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	447 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	648 FPS
medium	403 FPS	552 FPS
high	345 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	369 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	380 FPS
medium	247 FPS	326 FPS
high	231 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	258 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	530 FPS	813 FPS
medium	449 FPS	794 FPS
high	415 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	647 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	707 FPS
medium	422 FPS	583 FPS
high	382 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	459 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	503 FPS
medium	331 FPS	403 FPS
high	296 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	292 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 3900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	626 FPS	813 FPS
medium	626 FPS	813 FPS
high	626 FPS	813 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	813 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	813 FPS
medium	626 FPS	813 FPS
high	598 FPS	714 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	619 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	669 FPS
medium	492 FPS	594 FPS
high	439 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 9 3900X

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 9 3900X

The Ryzen 9 3900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 32,517 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 3900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 3900X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 3900X — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 3900X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 9 3900X's 32,517 — a 26% lead for the Ryzen 9 3900X. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,407 vs 1,300, a 59.7% lead for the Core i5-13400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,408 vs 12,000 (5.1% advantage for the Ryzen 9 3900X). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 3900X.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 3900X
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	12 / 24+20%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	64 MB+220%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	25,029	32,517+30%
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407+85%	1,300
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	12,000+5%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 3900X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-13400F versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 3900X — the Core i5-13400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. 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. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13400F) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 3900X) — the Ryzen 9 3900X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-13400F) and X570,B550 (Ryzen 9 3900X).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 3900X
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 3900X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 3900X). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 9 3900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 3900X
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400F launched at $196 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 3900X debuted at $499. On MSRP ($196 vs $499), the Core i5-13400F is $303 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 65.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 3900X — making the Core i5-13400F the 64.8% better value option.