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

✅Costs $5 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $390 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700E across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 33,824).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 86.7 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $390 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Core i7-13700E

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 131.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 86.7 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($390 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
1.3% HIGHER MSRP
$390 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i7-13700E

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $5 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $390 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 131.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 86.7 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($390 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700E across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 33,824).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 86.7 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $390 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌
1.3% HIGHER MSRP
$390 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Quick Answers

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

Yes. Core i7-13700E is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 35.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 134.9% 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 i7-13700E is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 35.4% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13700E is the better fit. You are getting 134.9% 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 i7-13700E is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700E is 1.3% more expensive on MSRP at $390 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 131.9% better value on MSRP (86.7 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13700E 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 i7-13700E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700E
1080p
low	308 FPS	255 FPS
medium	278 FPS	239 FPS
high	231 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	219 FPS
medium	221 FPS	186 FPS
high	178 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	149 FPS
medium	140 FPS	127 FPS
high	108 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700E
1080p
low	360 FPS	362 FPS
medium	321 FPS	310 FPS
high	291 FPS	260 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	234 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	315 FPS
medium	282 FPS	279 FPS
high	258 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	200 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	186 FPS
medium	221 FPS	169 FPS
high	208 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	138 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700E
1080p
low	360 FPS	817 FPS
medium	360 FPS	655 FPS
high	360 FPS	572 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	483 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	719 FPS
medium	360 FPS	587 FPS
high	360 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	429 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	512 FPS
medium	360 FPS	430 FPS
high	360 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	328 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700E
1080p
low	360 FPS	846 FPS
medium	360 FPS	846 FPS
high	360 FPS	754 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	682 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	810 FPS
medium	360 FPS	724 FPS
high	360 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	552 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	557 FPS
medium	360 FPS	505 FPS
high	360 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	396 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-13700E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 i7-13700E

The Core i7-13700E 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 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 30 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: 33,824 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-13700E offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i7-13700E has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i7-13700E — a 4% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700E (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-13700E uses Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i7-13700E's 33,824 — a 80.6% lead for the Core i7-13700E. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700E.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700E
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.1 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+89%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)
PassMark	14,397	33,824+135%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	24,775
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,118
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	14,711

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-13700E 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, DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-13700E — the Core i7-13700E supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 20 (Core i7-13700E) — the Core i7-13700E offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and H610E,Q670E,R680E,W680 (Core i7-13700E).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-13700E
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
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. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-13700E). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-13700E) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Core i7-13700E targets Embedded Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700E rivals Ryzen 7 7700.

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

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i7-13700E debuted at $390. On MSRP ($385 vs $390), the Core i7-9700K is $5 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 86.7 pts/$ for the Core i7-13700E — making the Core i7-13700E the 79.5% better value option.