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

✅Better for gaming: +11.7% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,300 vs 37,655).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-13600K

2022

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.7% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,300 vs 37,655).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13600K better than Ryzen 9 5980HX?

Yes. Core i5-13600K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 11.7% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data, 61.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-13600K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 11.7% more average FPS across 45 shared CPU game tests.

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 61.6% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

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 $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 11.7% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 FP6, 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB), 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

Ryzen 9 5980HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	281 FPS	260 FPS
medium	264 FPS	239 FPS
high	220 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	231 FPS
medium	198 FPS	192 FPS
high	158 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	159 FPS
medium	133 FPS	134 FPS
high	102 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	632 FPS	428 FPS
medium	533 FPS	356 FPS
high	450 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	273 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	357 FPS
medium	474 FPS	312 FPS
high	403 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	245 FPS
medium	282 FPS	220 FPS
high	269 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	180 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	663 FPS	582 FPS
medium	543 FPS	582 FPS
high	477 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	582 FPS
medium	499 FPS	532 FPS
high	434 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	456 FPS
medium	381 FPS	396 FPS
high	344 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	282 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	941 FPS	582 FPS
medium	941 FPS	582 FPS
high	923 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	582 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	582 FPS
medium	850 FPS	582 FPS
high	738 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	475 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	511 FPS
medium	588 FPS	460 FPS
high	529 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	348 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and Ryzen 9 5980HX

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.

Ryzen 9 5980HX

The Ryzen 9 5980HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 23,300 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5980HX 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 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-13600K (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the Ryzen 9 5980HX's 23,300 — a 47.1% lead for the Core i5-13600K. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HX.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Cores / Threads	14 / 20+75%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+6%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+6%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB+50%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	37,655+62%	23,300

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-13600K versus LPDDR4-4266 on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — the Core i5-13600K supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-13600K supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13600K) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HX) — the Core i5-13600K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Socket	LGA1700	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600+25%	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+200%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13600K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HX). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i5-13600K) and Radeon Graphics (8CU) (Ryzen 9 5980HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop, Ryzen 9 5980HX targets Mobile High-End.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	Radeon Graphics (8CU)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Mobile High-End