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: +6.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 67.2 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 36 MB).
❌257.1% higher power demand at 125W vs 35W.

Core Ultra 9 285T

2025

Why buy it

✅+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 (36,916 vs 37,655).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 67.2 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Core i5-13600K

2022

Core Ultra 9 285T

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 67.2 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌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 (36,916 vs 37,655).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 67.2 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13600K better than Core Ultra 9 285T?

Yes. Core i5-13600K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 2% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-13600K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.0% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13600K is the better fit. You are getting 2% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads.

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

Core i5-13600K is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13600K is $220 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 70.2% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 67.2 PassMark/$), 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 9 285T can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Core Ultra 9 285T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022) and 50% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 24 MB). 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 Ultra 9 285T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core Ultra 9 285T
1080p
low	281 FPS	309 FPS
medium	264 FPS	299 FPS
high	220 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	208 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	269 FPS
medium	198 FPS	228 FPS
high	158 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	179 FPS
medium	133 FPS	151 FPS
high	102 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	101 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core Ultra 9 285T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core Ultra 9 285T
1080p
low	632 FPS	429 FPS
medium	533 FPS	375 FPS
high	450 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	267 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	364 FPS
medium	474 FPS	328 FPS
high	403 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	220 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	204 FPS
medium	282 FPS	187 FPS
high	269 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	154 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core Ultra 9 285T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core Ultra 9 285T
1080p
low	663 FPS	844 FPS
medium	543 FPS	690 FPS
high	477 FPS	612 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	525 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	723 FPS
medium	499 FPS	594 FPS
high	434 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	512 FPS
medium	381 FPS	434 FPS
high	344 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	335 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core Ultra 9 285T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Core Ultra 9 285T
1080p
low	941 FPS	923 FPS
medium	941 FPS	923 FPS
high	923 FPS	829 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	744 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	853 FPS
medium	850 FPS	747 FPS
high	738 FPS	650 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	575 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	629 FPS
medium	588 FPS	559 FPS
high	529 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	435 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Core Ultra 9 285T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and Core Ultra 9 285T

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 Ultra 9 285T

The Core Ultra 9 285T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 24 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 36,916 points. Launch price was $549.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Core Ultra 9 285T offers 24 cores / 24 threads — the Core Ultra 9 285T has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 5.4 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 285T — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 9 285T (base: 3.5 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core Ultra 9 285T uses Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the Core Ultra 9 285T's 36,916 — a 2% lead for the Core i5-13600K. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 36 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 9 285T.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core Ultra 9 285T
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	24 / 24+71%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz	5.4 GHz+6%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+150%	1.4 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB	36 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	3 MB (per core)+50%
Process	Intel 7 nm	3 nm-57%
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)
PassMark	37,655+2%	36,916

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core Ultra 9 285T uses LGA1851 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-13600K versus 6400 on the Core Ultra 9 285T — the Core Ultra 9 285T supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core Ultra 9 285T supports up to 256 of RAM compared to 192 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. 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 Z890,B860 (Core Ultra 9 285T).

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core Ultra 9 285T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1851
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	6400+127900%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+78643100%	256
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 Arc Xe-LPG Graphics (Core Ultra 9 285T) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 9 285T rivals Ryzen 9 7900.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Core Ultra 9 285T
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	Intel Arc Xe-LPG Graphics
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 Ultra 9 285T 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 67.2 pts/$ for the Core Ultra 9 285T — making the Core i5-13600K the 52% better value option.