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 i5-13600K

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 69.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 38,168).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 36 MB).
❌257.1% higher power demand at 125W vs 35W.

Core i9-14900T

2024

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 125W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 69.5 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Core i5-13600K

2022

Core i9-14900T

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 69.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 125W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 38,168).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 36 MB).
❌257.1% higher power demand at 125W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 69.5 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-14900T better than Core i5-13600K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-13600K is ahead with a 11.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-14900T pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark. Core i9-14900T also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-14900T is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Core i9-14900T is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13600K makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-14900T is 66.9% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you 1.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-13600K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 11.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13600K is also 64.6% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 69.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i9-14900T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022), 50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 32 threads instead of 14/20. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-13600K Benchmark Check

Core i9-14900T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900T
1080p
low	281 FPS	318 FPS
medium	264 FPS	309 FPS
high	220 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	205 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	276 FPS
medium	198 FPS	238 FPS
high	158 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	155 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	190 FPS
medium	133 FPS	162 FPS
high	102 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	109 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core i9-14900T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900T
1080p
low	632 FPS	496 FPS
medium	533 FPS	434 FPS
high	450 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	312 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	421 FPS
medium	474 FPS	379 FPS
high	403 FPS	316 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	257 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	236 FPS
medium	282 FPS	216 FPS
high	269 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	179 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core i9-14900T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900T
1080p
low	663 FPS	759 FPS
medium	543 FPS	623 FPS
high	477 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	676 FPS
medium	499 FPS	563 FPS
high	434 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	494 FPS
medium	381 FPS	427 FPS
high	344 FPS	381 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	327 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core i9-14900T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900T
1080p
low	941 FPS	954 FPS
medium	941 FPS	877 FPS
high	923 FPS	767 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	682 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	815 FPS
medium	850 FPS	716 FPS
high	738 FPS	626 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	550 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	602 FPS
medium	588 FPS	538 FPS
high	529 FPS	475 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	417 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core i9-14900T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and Core i9-14900T

Core i5-13600K

The Core i5-13600K 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 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB. 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: 37,655 points. Launch price was $319.

Core i9-14900T

The Core i9-14900T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 5.5 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,168 points. Launch price was $549.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Core i9-14900T offers 24 cores / 32 threads — the Core i9-14900T has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 5.5 GHz on the Core i9-14900T — a 7.5% clock advantage for the Core i9-14900T (base: 3.5 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-14900T uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the Core i9-14900T's 38,168 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i9-14900T. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-14900T.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900T
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	24 / 32+71%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz	5.5 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+218%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB	36 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	37,655	38,168+1%

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-13600K versus 5600 on the Core i9-14900T — the Core i9-14900T supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 192 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel 600 series,Intel 700 series (Core i5-13600K) and Z790,B760 (Core i9-14900T).

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	5600+111900%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+104857500%	192
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i5-13600K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i5-13600K) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-14900T) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i9-14900T rivals Ryzen 9 7900.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900T
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13600K launched at $329 MSRP, while the Core i9-14900T debuted at $549. On MSRP ($329 vs $549), the Core i5-13600K is $220 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13600K delivers 114.5 pts/$ vs 69.5 pts/$ for the Core i9-14900T — making the Core i5-13600K the 48.8% better value option.