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

✅Better for gaming: +13.2% higher average FPS across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6238.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (25,029 vs 29,118).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6238, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6238 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Gold 6238

2019

Why buy it

✅+16.3% higher PassMark.
✅+51.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Xeon Gold 6238

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.2% higher average FPS across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6238.

Why buy it

✅+16.3% higher PassMark.
✅+51.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (25,029 vs 29,118).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6238, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6238 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13400F across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 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 Xeon Gold 6238?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6238 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-13400F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6238 is the better fit. You are getting 16.3% better PassMark, backed by 22 cores and 44 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 51.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).

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 $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 13.2% average FPS lead across 28 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6238 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 16.3% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2019) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647. 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

Xeon Gold 6238 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Xeon Gold 6238
1080p
low	171 FPS	187 FPS
medium	158 FPS	152 FPS
high	132 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	146 FPS
medium	123 FPS	115 FPS
high	99 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	68 FPS
medium	74 FPS	57 FPS
high	59 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Xeon Gold 6238

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Xeon Gold 6238
1080p
low	545 FPS	214 FPS
medium	464 FPS	189 FPS
high	389 FPS	162 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	137 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	185 FPS
medium	403 FPS	168 FPS
high	345 FPS	144 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	121 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	121 FPS
medium	247 FPS	110 FPS
high	231 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	83 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Xeon Gold 6238

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Xeon Gold 6238
1080p
low	530 FPS	700 FPS
medium	449 FPS	563 FPS
high	415 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	560 FPS
medium	422 FPS	456 FPS
high	382 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	356 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	407 FPS
medium	331 FPS	317 FPS
high	296 FPS	282 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	226 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Xeon Gold 6238

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Xeon Gold 6238
1080p
low	626 FPS	728 FPS
medium	626 FPS	728 FPS
high	626 FPS	699 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	610 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	728 FPS
medium	626 FPS	639 FPS
high	598 FPS	550 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	468 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	501 FPS
medium	492 FPS	449 FPS
high	439 FPS	400 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	345 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Xeon Gold 6238

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Xeon Gold 6238

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.

Xeon Gold 6238

The Xeon Gold 6238 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 22 cores and 44 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 30.25 MB. L2 cache: 22 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 29,118 points. Launch price was $2,612.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6238 offers 22 cores / 44 threads — the Xeon Gold 6238 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6238 — a 21.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-13400F (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 Xeon Gold 6238 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Xeon Gold 6238's 29,118 — a 15.1% lead for the Xeon Gold 6238. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 30.25 MB on the Xeon Gold 6238.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Xeon Gold 6238
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	22 / 44+120%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+24%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	30.25 MB+51%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	22 MB+1660%
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	25,029	29,118+16%
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 6238 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-13400F versus 2933 on the Xeon Gold 6238 — the Xeon Gold 6238 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6238 supports up to 1024 of RAM compared to 192 GB — 136.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-13400F) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6238). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13400F) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6238) — the Xeon Gold 6238 offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-13400F) and C621 (Xeon Gold 6238).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Xeon Gold 6238
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	2933+58560%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+19660700%	1024
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6238 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600; Xeon Gold 6238 rivals EPYC 7402.