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 i5-13400F

2023

Why buy it

✅+20.9% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-11950H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11950H across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i9-11950H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i9-11950H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,699 vs 25,029).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Core i9-11950H

2021

Why buy it

✅+20.9% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-11950H.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11950H across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Core i9-11950H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,699 vs 25,029).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Core i9-11950H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-11950H is ahead with a 13.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F pulls ahead with 20.9% better PassMark. Core i9-11950H also has the bigger cache pool with 20% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F is the better fit. You are getting 20.9% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-13400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13400F is at an unclear MSRP at $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 20.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-11950H is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 13.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-13400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787, and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i5-13400F Benchmark Check

Core i9-11950H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	171 FPS	247 FPS
medium	158 FPS	230 FPS
high	132 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	220 FPS
medium	123 FPS	185 FPS
high	99 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	154 FPS
medium	74 FPS	131 FPS
high	59 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-11950H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	545 FPS	343 FPS
medium	464 FPS	293 FPS
high	389 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	297 FPS
medium	403 FPS	266 FPS
high	345 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	194 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	176 FPS
medium	247 FPS	161 FPS
high	231 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	134 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-11950H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	530 FPS	517 FPS
medium	449 FPS	517 FPS
high	415 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	517 FPS
medium	422 FPS	501 FPS
high	382 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	345 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	428 FPS
medium	331 FPS	368 FPS
high	296 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	259 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-11950H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	626 FPS	517 FPS
medium	626 FPS	517 FPS
high	626 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	517 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	517 FPS
medium	626 FPS	517 FPS
high	598 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	510 FPS
medium	492 FPS	458 FPS
high	439 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	348 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Core i9-11950H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Core i9-11950H

Core i5-13400F

The Core i5-13400F 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 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 25,029 points. Launch price was $196.

Core i9-11950H

The Core i9-11950H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 20,699 points. Launch price was $556.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i9-11950H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-13400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-11950H — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-11950H (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-11950H uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Core i9-11950H's 20,699 — a 18.9% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11950H.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-11950H
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+20%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm SuperFin
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	25,029+21%	20,699
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-11950H uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Core i9-11950H
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) / not specified (Core i9-11950H). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.