Core i7-13790F vs EPYC 7D12

CPU

GPU

Core i7-13790F

16 Cores24 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.2 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 7D12

32 Cores64 Thrd85 WWMax: 3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-13790F

16 / 24

43,549

+3.0%

42,285

0.0%

Ryzen 7 7735H

Ryzen 5 7600X

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

Ryzen 7 9700X

Ryzen 9 7945HX3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

About PassMark

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 i7-13790F

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +58.3% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $608 less on MSRP ($392 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 162.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.1 vs 42.3 PassMark/$ ($392 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 85W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7D12, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7D12

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13790F across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (42,285 vs 43,549).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.3 vs 111.1 PassMark/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $392 MSRP).
❌30.8% higher power demand at 85W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Core i7-13790F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i7-13790F

2023

EPYC 7D12

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +58.3% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $608 less on MSRP ($392 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 162.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.1 vs 42.3 PassMark/$ ($392 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 85W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7D12, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13790F across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (42,285 vs 43,549).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.3 vs 111.1 PassMark/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $392 MSRP).
❌30.8% higher power demand at 85W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Core i7-13790F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13790F better than EPYC 7D12?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7D12 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-13790F 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 i7-13790F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 58.3% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13790F is the better fit. You are getting 3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads.

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

Core i7-13790F is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13790F is $608 cheaper on MSRP at $392 MSRP versus $1,000 MSRP, and it gives you a 58.3% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 162.7% better value on MSRP (111.1 vs 42.3 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13790F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of SP3, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 32/64. 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 i7-13790F Benchmark Check

EPYC 7D12 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13790F	EPYC 7D12
1080p
low	276 FPS	155 FPS
medium	258 FPS	128 FPS
high	214 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	256 FPS	130 FPS
medium	215 FPS	105 FPS
high	167 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	173 FPS	63 FPS
medium	145 FPS	54 FPS
high	108 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i7-13790F Open EPYC 7D12

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13790F	EPYC 7D12
1080p
low	361 FPS	205 FPS
medium	309 FPS	182 FPS
high	259 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	233 FPS	125 FPS
1440p
low	314 FPS	173 FPS
medium	278 FPS	159 FPS
high	235 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	110 FPS
4K
low	186 FPS	112 FPS
medium	168 FPS	103 FPS
high	160 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	74 FPS

Open Core i7-13790F Open EPYC 7D12

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13790F	EPYC 7D12
1080p
low	1025 FPS	643 FPS
medium	1011 FPS	526 FPS
high	933 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	803 FPS	409 FPS
1440p
low	969 FPS	497 FPS
medium	858 FPS	405 FPS
high	775 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	306 FPS
4K
low	588 FPS	366 FPS
medium	506 FPS	285 FPS
high	455 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	195 FPS

Open Core i7-13790F Open EPYC 7D12

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13790F	EPYC 7D12
1080p
low	1089 FPS	797 FPS
medium	1015 FPS	719 FPS
high	876 FPS	620 FPS
ultra	767 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	960 FPS	645 FPS
medium	844 FPS	558 FPS
high	722 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	620 FPS	404 FPS
4K
low	684 FPS	440 FPS
medium	605 FPS	393 FPS
high	536 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	299 FPS

Open Core i7-13790F Open EPYC 7D12

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13790F and EPYC 7D12

Core i7-13790F

The Core i7-13790F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 43,549 points. Launch price was $441.

EPYC 7D12

The EPYC 7D12 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Rome (2020) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 42,285 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13790F packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the EPYC 7D12 offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the EPYC 7D12 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i7-13790F versus 3 GHz on the EPYC 7D12 — a 53.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-13790F (base: 2.1 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i7-13790F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (10 nm), while the EPYC 7D12 uses Rome (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13790F scores 43,549 against the EPYC 7D12's 42,285 — a 2.9% lead for the Core i7-13790F. L3 cache: 33 MB (total) on the Core i7-13790F vs 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7D12.

Feature	Core i7-13790F	EPYC 7D12
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	32 / 64+100%
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+73%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz+91%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	33 MB (total)+3%	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Rome (2020)
PassMark	43,549+3%	42,285
Cinebench R23 Multi	26,247	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,815	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,673	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-13790F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the EPYC 7D12 uses SP3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i7-13790F versus 3200 on the EPYC 7D12 — the EPYC 7D12 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7D12 supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 192 GB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-13790F) vs 8 (EPYC 7D12). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-13790F) vs 128 (EPYC 7D12) — the EPYC 7D12 offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z790,B760 (Core i7-13790F) and SP3 (EPYC 7D12).

Feature	Core i7-13790F	EPYC 7D12
Socket	LGA1700	SP3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	3200+63900%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+4915100%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	128+700%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-13790F) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (EPYC 7D12). Direct competitor: EPYC 7D12 rivals Xeon Gold 6248.

Feature	Core i7-13790F	EPYC 7D12
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-13790F launched at $392 MSRP, while the EPYC 7D12 debuted at $1000. On MSRP ($392 vs $1000), the Core i7-13790F is $608 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13790F delivers 111.1 pts/$ vs 42.3 pts/$ for the EPYC 7D12 — making the Core i7-13790F the 89.7% better value option.