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 i7-13700K

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Core i9-9980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-13700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Core i9-9980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK 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 i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-13700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Core i9-9980HK?

Yes. Core i7-13700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 19.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 227.8% 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 i7-13700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 19.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13700K is the better fit. You are getting 227.8% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core i7-13700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700K is at an unclear MSRP at $409 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 19.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 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 i7-13700K Benchmark Check

Core i9-9980HK Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	284 FPS	271 FPS
medium	268 FPS	246 FPS
high	223 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	235 FPS
medium	200 FPS	193 FPS
high	159 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	165 FPS
medium	134 FPS	137 FPS
high	103 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-9980HK

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	689 FPS	349 FPS
medium	580 FPS	349 FPS
high	484 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	349 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	349 FPS
medium	525 FPS	349 FPS
high	441 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	323 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	349 FPS
medium	314 FPS	310 FPS
high	295 FPS	291 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	245 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-9980HK

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	648 FPS	349 FPS
medium	530 FPS	349 FPS
high	467 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	349 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	349 FPS
medium	491 FPS	349 FPS
high	427 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	349 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	349 FPS
medium	374 FPS	349 FPS
high	339 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	322 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-9980HK

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	970 FPS	349 FPS
medium	883 FPS	349 FPS
high	766 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	349 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	349 FPS
medium	740 FPS	349 FPS
high	642 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	349 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	349 FPS
medium	515 FPS	349 FPS
high	463 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	349 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-9980HK

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Core i9-9980HK

Core i7-13700K

The Core i7-13700K 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 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). 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: 45,784 points. Launch price was $409.

Core i9-9980HK

The Core i9-9980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,966 points. Launch price was $583.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i9-9980HK offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-9980HK — a 7.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-9980HK uses Coffee Lake-HR (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Core i9-9980HK's 13,966 — a 106.5% lead for the Core i7-13700K. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980HK.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-9980HK
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+8%	5 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+42%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+88%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+700%	256K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)
PassMark	45,784+228%	13,966
Cinebench R23 Multi	31,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,846	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,980	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-13700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-9980HK uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-9980HK
Socket	LGA1700	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	—
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i7-13700K) / not specified (Core i9-9980HK). The Core i7-13700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Core i9-9980HK requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.