Core i5-13400F vs Ryzen 9 6900HX

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

✅+3.2% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 6900HX.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 6900HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Ryzen 9 6900HX

2022

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,248 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 9 6900HX

2022

Why buy it

✅+3.2% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 6900HX.

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 6900HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,248 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Ryzen 9 6900HX?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 6900HX is ahead with a 1.3% 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 3.2% 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 3.2% 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 at an unclear MSRP at $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 3.2% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 6900HX is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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), 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 9 6900HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 6900HX
1080p
low	171 FPS	251 FPS
medium	158 FPS	234 FPS
high	132 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	220 FPS
medium	123 FPS	186 FPS
high	99 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	154 FPS
medium	74 FPS	131 FPS
high	59 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 6900HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 6900HX
1080p
low	545 FPS	441 FPS
medium	464 FPS	370 FPS
high	389 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	287 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	370 FPS
medium	403 FPS	323 FPS
high	345 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	247 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	255 FPS
medium	247 FPS	229 FPS
high	231 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	186 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 6900HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 6900HX
1080p
low	530 FPS	606 FPS
medium	449 FPS	564 FPS
high	415 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	606 FPS
medium	422 FPS	510 FPS
high	382 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	355 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	432 FPS
medium	331 FPS	368 FPS
high	296 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 6900HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 6900HX
1080p
low	626 FPS	606 FPS
medium	626 FPS	606 FPS
high	626 FPS	606 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	606 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	606 FPS
medium	626 FPS	606 FPS
high	598 FPS	591 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	513 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	536 FPS
medium	492 FPS	489 FPS
high	439 FPS	438 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 6900HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 9 6900HX

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 6900HX

The Ryzen 9 6900HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,248 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 6900HX 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 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 9 6900HX — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 6900HX (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 9 6900HX uses Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 9 6900HX's 24,248 — a 3.2% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 6900HX.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 6900HX
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.9 GHz+7%
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)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	6 nm-14%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022)
PassMark	25,029+3%	24,248
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 6900HX uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 6900HX
Socket	LGA1700	FP7
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	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) / not specified (Ryzen 9 6900HX). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.