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: +9.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $339 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $668 MSRP).
✅Delivers 71.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 66.9 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $668 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 44,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 36 MB).
❌127.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 55W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-14900HX.

Core i9-14900HX

2024

Why buy it

✅+18.7% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 125W, a 70W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Core i5-13600K.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.9 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($668 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Core i5-13600K

2022

Core i9-14900HX

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $339 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $668 MSRP).
✅Delivers 71.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 66.9 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $668 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+18.7% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 125W, a 70W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Core i5-13600K.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 44,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 36 MB).
❌127.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 55W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-14900HX.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.9 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($668 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

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

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-13600K is ahead with a 9.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-14900HX pulls ahead with 18.7% better PassMark. Core i9-14900HX 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 i9-14900HX is the better fit. You are getting 18.7% 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 i9-14900HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13600K makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-14900HX is 103.0% more expensive on MSRP at $668 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you 18.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-13600K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 9.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13600K is also 71.1% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 66.9 PassMark/$), 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 i9-14900HX 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 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 i5-13600K Benchmark Check

Core i9-14900HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900HX
1080p
low	281 FPS	318 FPS
medium	264 FPS	309 FPS
high	220 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	206 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 i9-14900HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900HX
1080p
low	632 FPS	497 FPS
medium	533 FPS	436 FPS
high	450 FPS	355 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	314 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	422 FPS
medium	474 FPS	381 FPS
high	403 FPS	317 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	258 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	236 FPS
medium	282 FPS	217 FPS
high	269 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	180 FPS

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

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900HX
1080p
low	663 FPS	761 FPS
medium	543 FPS	626 FPS
high	477 FPS	542 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	466 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	681 FPS
medium	499 FPS	568 FPS
high	434 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	425 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	501 FPS
medium	381 FPS	439 FPS
high	344 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	334 FPS

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

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900HX
1080p
low	941 FPS	1001 FPS
medium	941 FPS	896 FPS
high	923 FPS	783 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	696 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	831 FPS
medium	850 FPS	731 FPS
high	738 FPS	639 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	561 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	613 FPS
medium	588 FPS	549 FPS
high	529 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	425 FPS

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

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 i9-14900HX

The Core i9-14900HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-HX Refresh (2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 44,685 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Core i9-14900HX offers 24 cores / 32 threads — the Core i9-14900HX has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 5.7 GHz on the Core i9-14900HX — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-14900HX (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-14900HX uses Raptor Lake-HX Refresh (2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the Core i9-14900HX's 44,685 — a 17.1% lead for the Core i9-14900HX. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-14900HX.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900HX
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	24 / 32+71%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz	5.7 GHz+12%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+59%	2.2 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-HX Refresh (2024)
PassMark	37,655	44,685+19%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	35,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,000
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	17,500

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-14900HX uses FCBGA1964 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. 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 HM770,WM790 (Core i9-14900HX).

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900HX
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1964
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	192 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13600K) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-14900HX). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i5-13600K) and UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-14900HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop, Core i9-14900HX targets Flagship Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i9-14900HX rivals Ryzen 9 7945HX.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core i9-14900HX
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Flagship Gaming Laptop

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Value Analysis

The Core i5-13600K launched at $329 MSRP, while the Core i9-14900HX debuted at $668. On MSRP ($329 vs $668), the Core i5-13600K is $339 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13600K delivers 114.5 pts/$ vs 66.9 pts/$ for the Core i9-14900HX — making the Core i5-13600K the 52.5% better value option.