Core i5-13600K vs EPYC 72F3

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 i5-13600K

2022

Why buy it

✅+38.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 125W instead of 180W, a 55W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while EPYC 72F3 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No 3D V-Cache or similar L3 advantage, which matters in CPU-limited gaming (24 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while EPYC 72F3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

EPYC 72F3

2021

Why buy it

✅Massive L3 cache advantage with 256 MB vs 24 MB, which is a real win in CPU-limited gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,252 vs 37,655).
❌44% higher power demand at 180W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-13600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-13600K

2022

EPYC 72F3

2021

Why buy it

✅+38.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 125W instead of 180W, a 55W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while EPYC 72F3 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Massive L3 cache advantage with 256 MB vs 24 MB, which is a real win in CPU-limited gaming.

Trade-offs

❌No 3D V-Cache or similar L3 advantage, which matters in CPU-limited gaming (24 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while EPYC 72F3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,252 vs 37,655).
❌44% higher power demand at 180W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-13600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13600K better than EPYC 72F3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 72F3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-13600K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13600K is the better fit. You are getting 38.2% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads.

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

Core i5-13600K is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13600K is at an unclear MSRP at $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 38.2% better PassMark. The trade-off is that EPYC 72F3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-13600K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of SP3, and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i5-13600K Benchmark Check

EPYC 72F3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 72F3
1080p
low	281 FPS	231 FPS
medium	264 FPS	184 FPS
high	220 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	196 FPS
medium	198 FPS	151 FPS
high	158 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	77 FPS
medium	133 FPS	63 FPS
high	102 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 72F3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 72F3
1080p
low	632 FPS	583 FPS
medium	533 FPS	510 FPS
high	450 FPS	412 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	360 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	489 FPS
medium	474 FPS	436 FPS
high	403 FPS	362 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	300 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	304 FPS
medium	282 FPS	274 FPS
high	269 FPS	245 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	220 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 72F3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 72F3
1080p
low	663 FPS	681 FPS
medium	543 FPS	681 FPS
high	477 FPS	681 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	681 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	681 FPS
medium	499 FPS	597 FPS
high	434 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	466 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	485 FPS
medium	381 FPS	387 FPS
high	344 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	277 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 72F3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 72F3
1080p
low	941 FPS	681 FPS
medium	941 FPS	681 FPS
high	923 FPS	681 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	681 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	681 FPS
medium	850 FPS	681 FPS
high	738 FPS	655 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	565 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	643 FPS
medium	588 FPS	574 FPS
high	529 FPS	499 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	427 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 72F3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and EPYC 72F3

Core i5-13600K

The Core i5-13600K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 37,655 points. Launch price was $319.

EPYC 72F3

The EPYC 72F3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 15 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm+ process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 27,252 points. Launch price was $2,468.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the EPYC 72F3 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-13600K has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 4.1 GHz on the EPYC 72F3 — a 21.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-13600K (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 72F3 uses Milan (2021−2023) (7 nm+). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the EPYC 72F3's 27,252 — a 32.1% lead for the Core i5-13600K. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 72F3.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 72F3
Cores / Threads	14 / 20+75%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+24%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	24 MB	256 MB (total)+967%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm+
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Milan (2021−2023)
PassMark	37,655+38%	27,252

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the EPYC 72F3 uses SP3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 72F3
Socket	LGA1700	SP3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	—
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13600K) / not specified (EPYC 72F3). The Core i5-13600K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the EPYC 72F3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop.