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: +31.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+21.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $2,949 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $3,358 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1321.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 7.9 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $3,358 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6150, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads.

Xeon Gold 6150

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (26,447 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.9 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($3,358 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Xeon Gold 6150

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+21.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $2,949 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $3,358 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1321.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 7.9 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $3,358 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6150, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (26,447 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.9 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($3,358 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Xeon Gold 6150?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6150 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-13700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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 31.2% 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 73.1% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 21.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 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 $2,949 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $3,358 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1321.3% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 7.9 PassMark/$), 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 2017), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, 21.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 18/36. 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

Xeon Gold 6150 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 6150
1080p
low	284 FPS	182 FPS
medium	268 FPS	146 FPS
high	223 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	144 FPS
medium	200 FPS	114 FPS
high	159 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	67 FPS
medium	134 FPS	56 FPS
high	103 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 6150

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 6150
1080p
low	689 FPS	400 FPS
medium	580 FPS	346 FPS
high	484 FPS	291 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	244 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	346 FPS
medium	525 FPS	307 FPS
high	441 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	225 FPS
medium	314 FPS	200 FPS
high	295 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	148 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 6150

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 6150
1080p
low	648 FPS	661 FPS
medium	530 FPS	661 FPS
high	467 FPS	661 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	655 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	661 FPS
medium	491 FPS	612 FPS
high	427 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	462 FPS
medium	374 FPS	361 FPS
high	339 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	261 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 6150

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 6150
1080p
low	970 FPS	661 FPS
medium	883 FPS	661 FPS
high	766 FPS	661 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	577 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	661 FPS
medium	740 FPS	598 FPS
high	642 FPS	516 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	443 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	469 FPS
medium	515 FPS	421 FPS
high	463 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	327 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 6150

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Xeon Gold 6150

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.

Xeon Gold 6150

The Xeon Gold 6150 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB. L2 cache: 18 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 26,447 points. Launch price was $3,358.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6150 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon Gold 6150 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6150 — a 37.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6150 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Xeon Gold 6150's 26,447 — a 53.5% lead for the Core i7-13700K. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 24.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6150.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 6150
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	18 / 36+13%
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+46%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+26%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+21%	24.75 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	18 MB+800%
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	45,784+73%	26,447
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 Xeon Gold 6150 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 6150
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
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 (Xeon Gold 6150). The Core i7-13700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon Gold 6150 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 6150
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	true	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-13700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6150 debuted at $3358. On MSRP ($409 vs $3358), the Core i7-13700K is $2949 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13700K delivers 111.9 pts/$ vs 7.9 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6150 — making the Core i7-13700K the 173.7% better value option.