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 i5-14490F

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $408 less on MSRP ($209 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅Delivers 197.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 132.2 vs 44.5 PassMark/$ ($209 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-13900H.

Trade-offs

❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Core i9-13900H

2023

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14490F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (27,444 vs 27,621).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.5 vs 132.2 PassMark/$ ($617 MSRP vs $209 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-14490F.

Core i5-14490F

2024

Core i9-13900H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $408 less on MSRP ($209 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅Delivers 197.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 132.2 vs 44.5 PassMark/$ ($209 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-13900H.

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14490F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (27,444 vs 27,621).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.5 vs 132.2 PassMark/$ ($617 MSRP vs $209 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-14490F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-14490F better than Core i9-13900H?

Yes. Core i5-14490F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 17.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.6% 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 i5-14490F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.2% 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, Core i5-14490F is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-14490F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-14490F is $408 cheaper on MSRP at $209 MSRP versus $617 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 197.1% better value on MSRP (132.2 vs 44.5 PassMark/$), 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 i5-14490F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 14/20. 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 i5-14490F Benchmark Check

Core i9-13900H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-14490F	Core i9-13900H
1080p
low	246 FPS	262 FPS
medium	231 FPS	253 FPS
high	196 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	215 FPS	223 FPS
medium	183 FPS	192 FPS
high	151 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	149 FPS	154 FPS
medium	127 FPS	132 FPS
high	98 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i5-14490F Open Core i9-13900H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-14490F	Core i9-13900H
1080p
low	645 FPS	636 FPS
medium	549 FPS	543 FPS
high	464 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	411 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	555 FPS	554 FPS
medium	493 FPS	492 FPS
high	418 FPS	416 FPS
ultra	352 FPS	357 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	325 FPS
medium	293 FPS	296 FPS
high	279 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	246 FPS

Open Core i5-14490F Open Core i9-13900H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-14490F	Core i9-13900H
1080p
low	691 FPS	648 FPS
medium	691 FPS	530 FPS
high	691 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	691 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	691 FPS	591 FPS
medium	691 FPS	491 FPS
high	691 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	370 FPS
4K
low	596 FPS	434 FPS
medium	502 FPS	374 FPS
high	447 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	290 FPS

Open Core i5-14490F Open Core i9-13900H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-14490F	Core i9-13900H
1080p
low	691 FPS	686 FPS
medium	691 FPS	686 FPS
high	691 FPS	686 FPS
ultra	691 FPS	672 FPS
1440p
low	691 FPS	686 FPS
medium	691 FPS	686 FPS
high	691 FPS	626 FPS
ultra	592 FPS	552 FPS
4K
low	661 FPS	555 FPS
medium	585 FPS	504 FPS
high	514 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	436 FPS	394 FPS

Open Core i5-14490F Open Core i9-13900H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-14490F and Core i9-13900H

Core i5-14490F

The Core i5-14490F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 27,621 points. Launch price was $299.

Core i9-13900H

The Core i9-13900H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 27,444 points. Launch price was $617.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-14490F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i9-13900H offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i9-13900H has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i5-14490F versus 5.4 GHz on the Core i9-13900H — a 7.7% clock advantage for the Core i9-13900H (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-14490F uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i9-13900H uses Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-14490F scores 27,621 against the Core i9-13900H's 27,444 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i5-14490F. Both processors carry 24 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-14490F	Core i9-13900H
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	14 / 20+40%
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.4 GHz+8%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.6 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	24 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	10 nm	Intel 7 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024)
PassMark	27,621	27,444
Cinebench R23 Multi	2,510	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,600	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-14490F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-13900H uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-14490F	Core i9-13900H
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-14490F) / not specified (Core i9-13900H). Primary use case: Core i5-14490F targets Mid-Range. Direct competitor: Core i5-14490F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-14490F	Core i9-13900H
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Mid-Range	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-14490F launched at $209 MSRP, while the Core i9-13900H debuted at $617. On MSRP ($209 vs $617), the Core i5-14490F is $408 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-14490F delivers 132.2 pts/$ vs 44.5 pts/$ for the Core i9-13900H — making the Core i5-14490F the 99.3% better value option.