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 i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 36,230).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 94.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Core i7-13700

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.4% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $1 less on MSRP ($384 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($384 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i7-13700

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.4% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $1 less on MSRP ($384 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($384 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 36,230).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 94.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700 better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i7-13700 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 23.4% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 151.6% 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 i7-13700 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 23.4% 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 i7-13700 is the better fit. You are getting 151.6% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-13700 is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700 is $1 cheaper on MSRP at $384 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 23.4% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 152.3% better value on MSRP (94.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13700 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 8/8. 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 i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Core i7-13700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700
1080p
low	308 FPS	264 FPS
medium	278 FPS	254 FPS
high	231 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	181 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	225 FPS
medium	221 FPS	193 FPS
high	178 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	154 FPS
medium	140 FPS	131 FPS
high	108 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700
1080p
low	360 FPS	344 FPS
medium	321 FPS	293 FPS
high	291 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	299 FPS
medium	282 FPS	264 FPS
high	258 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	192 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	177 FPS
medium	221 FPS	160 FPS
high	208 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	133 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700
1080p
low	360 FPS	647 FPS
medium	360 FPS	530 FPS
high	360 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	590 FPS
medium	360 FPS	491 FPS
high	360 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	370 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	433 FPS
medium	360 FPS	373 FPS
high	360 FPS	338 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	289 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700
1080p
low	360 FPS	906 FPS
medium	360 FPS	851 FPS
high	360 FPS	735 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	660 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	799 FPS
medium	360 FPS	712 FPS
high	360 FPS	615 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	542 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	548 FPS
medium	360 FPS	497 FPS
high	360 FPS	444 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	388 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i7-13700

Core i7-9700K

The Core i7-9700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,397 points. Launch price was $374.

Core i7-13700

The Core i7-13700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 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: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 36,230 points. Launch price was $384.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-13700 offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i7-13700 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i7-13700 — a 5.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-13700 uses Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i7-13700's 36,230 — a 86.3% lead for the Core i7-13700. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.2 GHz+6%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+71%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)
PassMark	14,397	36,230+152%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-13700 uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-5600 on the Core i7-13700 — the Core i7-13700 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-13700 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. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 20 (Core i7-13700) — the Core i7-13700 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and Z790,B760 (Core i7-13700).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i7-13700 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-13700) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i7-13700 debuted at $384. On MSRP ($385 vs $384), the Core i7-13700 is $1 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 94.3 pts/$ for the Core i7-13700 — making the Core i7-13700 the 86.5% better value option.