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: +7.4% higher average FPS across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $3,661 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 471.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 20.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 280W, a 155W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 79,889).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

2019

Why buy it

✅+112.2% higher PassMark.
✅+966.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅340% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.0 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($3,990 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌124% higher power demand at 280W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 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

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.4% higher average FPS across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $3,661 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 471.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 20.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 280W, a 155W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+112.2% higher PassMark.
✅+966.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅340% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 79,889).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.0 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($3,990 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌124% higher power demand at 280W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 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 Ryzen Threadripper 3990X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 3990X 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, Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is the better fit. You are getting 112.2% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 966.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 24 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 $3,661 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $3,990 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.4% average FPS lead across 23 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 112.2% better PassMark. It is also 471.6% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 20.0 PassMark/$), 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 2019) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of TR4. 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 Threadripper 3990X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	281 FPS	181 FPS
medium	264 FPS	152 FPS
high	220 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	157 FPS
medium	198 FPS	125 FPS
high	158 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	85 FPS
medium	133 FPS	72 FPS
high	102 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	632 FPS	584 FPS
medium	533 FPS	503 FPS
high	450 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	330 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	491 FPS
medium	474 FPS	433 FPS
high	403 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	308 FPS
medium	282 FPS	275 FPS
high	269 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	204 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	663 FPS	681 FPS
medium	543 FPS	563 FPS
high	477 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	428 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	582 FPS
medium	499 FPS	488 FPS
high	434 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	368 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	424 FPS
medium	381 FPS	338 FPS
high	344 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	941 FPS	942 FPS
medium	941 FPS	842 FPS
high	923 FPS	724 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	639 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	777 FPS
medium	850 FPS	677 FPS
high	738 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	502 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	540 FPS
medium	588 FPS	489 FPS
high	529 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	373 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 Threadripper 3990X

The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 79,889 points. Launch price was $3,999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X offers 64 cores / 128 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X has 50 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X — a 17% clock advantage for the Core i5-13600K (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X's 79,889 — a 71.9% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 256 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	64 / 128+357%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+19%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+21%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB	256 MB+967%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	37,655	79,889+112%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	64,366
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,961
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	22,045

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-13600K versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X — the Core i5-13600K supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 192 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-13600K) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13600K) vs 88 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X) — the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X offers 68 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 600 series,Intel 700 series (Core i5-13600K) and TRX40 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X).

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Socket	LGA1700	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	256 GB+33%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	88+340%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13600K) vs true (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X). The Core i5-13600K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 3990X rivals Core i9-10980XE.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13600K launched at $329 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X debuted at $3990. On MSRP ($329 vs $3990), the Core i5-13600K is $3661 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13600K delivers 114.5 pts/$ vs 20.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X — making the Core i5-13600K the 140.4% better value option.