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 i5-13400E

2023

Why buy it

✅+11.6% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $19 less on MSRP ($221 MSRP vs $240 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 122.2 vs 112.0 PassMark/$ ($221 MSRP vs $240 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 5 225T.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225T across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core Ultra 5 225T

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (8,943 vs 9,977).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.0 vs 122.2 PassMark/$ ($240 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400E.

Core i5-13400E

2023

Core Ultra 5 225T

2025

Why buy it

✅+11.6% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $19 less on MSRP ($221 MSRP vs $240 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 122.2 vs 112.0 PassMark/$ ($221 MSRP vs $240 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 5 225T.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225T across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (8,943 vs 9,977).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.0 vs 122.2 PassMark/$ ($240 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400E.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400E better than Core Ultra 5 225T?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 5 225T is ahead with a 10.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400E pulls ahead with 11.6% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400E is the better fit. You are getting 11.6% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-13400E is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13400E is $19 cheaper on MSRP at $221 MSRP versus $240 MSRP, and it gives you 11.6% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Core Ultra 5 225T is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 10.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 9.1% better value on MSRP (122.2 vs 112.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1851 + DDR5 setup, Core Ultra 5 225T is still an elite gaming CPU and a very strong platform-matched choice because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap while remaining one of the strongest gaming chips you can buy.

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

Core Ultra 5 225T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023). 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 i5-13400E Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 225T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400E	Core Ultra 5 225T
1080p
low	167 FPS	253 FPS
medium	151 FPS	244 FPS
high	126 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	175 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	217 FPS
medium	120 FPS	186 FPS
high	97 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	132 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	148 FPS
medium	70 FPS	126 FPS
high	56 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i5-13400E Open Core Ultra 5 225T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400E	Core Ultra 5 225T
1080p
low	570 FPS	595 FPS
medium	487 FPS	508 FPS
high	408 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	377 FPS
1440p
low	487 FPS	498 FPS
medium	429 FPS	438 FPS
high	368 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	317 FPS	317 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	299 FPS
medium	264 FPS	264 FPS
high	246 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	215 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core i5-13400E Open Core Ultra 5 225T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400E	Core Ultra 5 225T
1080p
low	675 FPS	672 FPS
medium	564 FPS	672 FPS
high	516 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	451 FPS	522 FPS
1440p
low	602 FPS	672 FPS
medium	508 FPS	588 FPS
high	455 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	398 FPS	439 FPS
4K
low	464 FPS	504 FPS
medium	381 FPS	422 FPS
high	337 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	276 FPS	318 FPS

Open Core i5-13400E Open Core Ultra 5 225T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400E	Core Ultra 5 225T
1080p
low	675 FPS	672 FPS
medium	675 FPS	672 FPS
high	675 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	648 FPS	672 FPS
1440p
low	675 FPS	672 FPS
medium	675 FPS	672 FPS
high	604 FPS	611 FPS
ultra	530 FPS	535 FPS
4K
low	542 FPS	550 FPS
medium	497 FPS	501 FPS
high	444 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	389 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i5-13400E Open Core Ultra 5 225T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400E and Core Ultra 5 225T

Core i5-13400E

The Core i5-13400E 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 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 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: 27,000 points. Launch price was $299.

Core Ultra 5 225T

The Core Ultra 5 225T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2025 (recentemente). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 26,874 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400E packs 10 cores / 16 threads, matching the Core Ultra 5 225T's 10 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400E versus 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225T — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225T (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-13400E uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 225T uses Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400E scores 27,000 against the Core Ultra 5 225T's 26,874 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i5-13400E. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,375 vs 2,677, a 12% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225T that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,977 vs 8,943 (10.9% advantage for the Core i5-13400E). Both processors carry 20 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-13400E	Core Ultra 5 225T
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	10 / 10
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.9 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.5 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	20 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	3 MB (per core)+140%
Process	10 nm	3 nm-70%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)
PassMark	27,000	26,874
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,953	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,375	2,677+13%
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,977+12%	8,943

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400E uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core Ultra 5 225T uses LGA1851 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Core Ultra 5 225T supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13400E) vs 24 (Core Ultra 5 225T) — the Core Ultra 5 225T offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B760,H770,Z790,H610,Q670 (Core i5-13400E) and Z890,B860 (Core Ultra 5 225T).

Feature	Core i5-13400E	Core Ultra 5 225T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1851
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-13400E) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 225T). Both include integrated graphics — UHD 730 (Core i5-13400E) and Arc Graphics (16EU) (Core Ultra 5 225T) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400E targets Productivity, Core Ultra 5 225T targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400E rivals Ryzen 5 7600; Core Ultra 5 225T rivals Ryzen 5 9600X.

Feature	Core i5-13400E	Core Ultra 5 225T
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD 730	Arc Graphics (16EU)
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Productivity	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400E launched at $221 MSRP, while the Core Ultra 5 225T debuted at $240. On MSRP ($221 vs $240), the Core i5-13400E is $19 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400E delivers 122.2 pts/$ vs 112.0 pts/$ for the Core Ultra 5 225T — making the Core i5-13400E the 8.7% better value option.