Core i7-13700HX vs Core i9-12950HX

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 i7-13700HX

2023

Why buy it

✅+2.1% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-12950HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $485 MSRP, while Core i9-12950HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i9-12950HX

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (31,494 vs 32,157).

Core i7-13700HX

2023

Core i9-12950HX

2022

Why buy it

✅+2.1% higher PassMark.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-12950HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $485 MSRP, while Core i9-12950HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (31,494 vs 32,157).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700HX better than Core i9-12950HX?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-12950HX is ahead with a 13.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13700HX pulls ahead with 2.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13700HX is the better fit. You are getting 2.1% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads.

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

Core i7-13700HX is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700HX is at an unclear MSRP at $485 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 2.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-12950HX is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 13.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (66.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13700HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 16/24. 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 i7-13700HX Benchmark Check

Core i9-12950HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700HX	Core i9-12950HX
1080p
low	264 FPS	269 FPS
medium	254 FPS	259 FPS
high	210 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	230 FPS
medium	193 FPS	198 FPS
high	153 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	154 FPS	159 FPS
medium	131 FPS	136 FPS
high	101 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i7-13700HX Open Core i9-12950HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700HX	Core i9-12950HX
1080p
low	340 FPS	613 FPS
medium	291 FPS	523 FPS
high	245 FPS	439 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	397 FPS
1440p
low	295 FPS	528 FPS
medium	264 FPS	470 FPS
high	223 FPS	397 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	340 FPS
4K
low	176 FPS	311 FPS
medium	159 FPS	281 FPS
high	151 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i7-13700HX Open Core i9-12950HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700HX	Core i9-12950HX
1080p
low	647 FPS	775 FPS
medium	527 FPS	616 FPS
high	467 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	462 FPS
1440p
low	590 FPS	692 FPS
medium	486 FPS	554 FPS
high	425 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	416 FPS
4K
low	433 FPS	498 FPS
medium	372 FPS	416 FPS
high	333 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	285 FPS	314 FPS

Open Core i7-13700HX Open Core i9-12950HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700HX	Core i9-12950HX
1080p
low	804 FPS	787 FPS
medium	804 FPS	783 FPS
high	715 FPS	676 FPS
ultra	635 FPS	600 FPS
1440p
low	778 FPS	744 FPS
medium	691 FPS	659 FPS
high	599 FPS	569 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	496 FPS
4K
low	547 FPS	523 FPS
medium	497 FPS	474 FPS
high	443 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	366 FPS

Open Core i7-13700HX Open Core i9-12950HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700HX and Core i9-12950HX

Core i7-13700HX

The Core i7-13700HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-HX (2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 32,157 points. Launch price was $485.

Core i9-12950HX

The Core i9-12950HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 May 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 31,494 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-13700HX and Core i9-12950HX share an identical 16-core/24-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-13700HX versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-12950HX — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-13700HX uses the Raptor Lake-HX (2023) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-12950HX uses Alder Lake-HX (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700HX scores 32,157 against the Core i9-12950HX's 31,494 — a 2.1% lead for the Core i7-13700HX. Both processors carry 30 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-13700HX	Core i9-12950HX
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	16 / 24
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.3 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	30 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+60%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-HX (2023)	Alder Lake-HX (2022)
PassMark	32,157+2%	31,494
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	23,113
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,349
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,711

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the FCBGA1964 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Core i7-13700HX supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Mobile (Core i7-13700HX) and HM670,WM690 (Core i9-12950HX).

Feature	Core i7-13700HX	Core i9-12950HX
Socket	FCBGA1964	FCBGA1964
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i7-13700HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-13700HX) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-12950HX). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics (Core i7-13700HX) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-12950HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-12950HX targets Mobile Workstation Flagship. Direct competitor: Core i9-12950HX rivals Ryzen 9 6980HX.

Feature	Core i7-13700HX	Core i9-12950HX
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Mobile Workstation Flagship