Core i5-13600K vs EPYC 7742

CPU

GPU

Core i5-13600K

14 Cores20 Thrd125 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 7742

64 Cores128 Thrd225 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2019

Popular choices:

••••••i5-13600K•••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-13600K

14 / 20

37,655

0.0%

69,448

+84.4%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

About PassMark

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: +14.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $6,621 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1045.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 10.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 225W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 69,448).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7742, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7742

2019

Why buy it

✅+84.4% higher PassMark.
✅+966.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅540% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.0 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($6,950 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌80% higher power demand at 225W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-13600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-13600K

2022

EPYC 7742

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $6,621 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1045.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 10.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 225W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+84.4% higher PassMark.
✅+966.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅540% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 69,448).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 256 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7742, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.0 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($6,950 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌80% higher power demand at 225W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-13600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13600K better than EPYC 7742?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7742 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-13600K 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, EPYC 7742 is the better fit. You are getting 84.4% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 966.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Core i5-13600K is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13600K is $6,621 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $6,950 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7742 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 84.4% better PassMark. It is also 1045.4% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 10.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-13600K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of TR4. 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

EPYC 7742 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 7742
1080p
low	281 FPS	192 FPS
medium	264 FPS	172 FPS
high	220 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	157 FPS
medium	198 FPS	132 FPS
high	158 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	72 FPS
medium	133 FPS	65 FPS
high	102 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 7742

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 7742
1080p
low	632 FPS	247 FPS
medium	533 FPS	221 FPS
high	450 FPS	183 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	148 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	202 FPS
medium	474 FPS	186 FPS
high	403 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	124 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	126 FPS
medium	282 FPS	118 FPS
high	269 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	84 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 7742

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 7742
1080p
low	663 FPS	629 FPS
medium	543 FPS	536 FPS
high	477 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	415 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	524 FPS
medium	499 FPS	446 FPS
high	434 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	338 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	389 FPS
medium	381 FPS	312 FPS
high	344 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	224 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 7742

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 7742
1080p
low	941 FPS	907 FPS
medium	941 FPS	828 FPS
high	923 FPS	713 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	618 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	713 FPS
medium	850 FPS	623 FPS
high	738 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	504 FPS
medium	588 FPS	454 FPS
high	529 FPS	401 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	346 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open EPYC 7742

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and EPYC 7742

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.

EPYC 7742

The EPYC 7742 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 2.25 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 225 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 69,448 points. Launch price was $6,950.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the EPYC 7742 offers 64 cores / 128 threads — the EPYC 7742 has 50 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7742 — a 40% clock advantage for the Core i5-13600K (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.25 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 7742 uses Zen 2 (2017−2020) (7 nm, 14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the EPYC 7742's 69,448 — a 59.4% lead for the EPYC 7742. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 7742.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 7742
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	64 / 128+357%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+50%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+56%	2.25 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB	256 MB (total)+967%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm, 14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Zen 2 (2017−2020)
PassMark	37,655	69,448+84%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the EPYC 7742 uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-13600K versus 3200 on the EPYC 7742 — the EPYC 7742 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7742 supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 192 GB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-13600K) vs 8 (EPYC 7742). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13600K) vs 128 (EPYC 7742) — the EPYC 7742 offers 108 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 600 series,Intel 700 series (Core i5-13600K) and SP3 (EPYC 7742).

Feature	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 7742
Socket	LGA1700	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	3200+63900%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+4915100%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	128+540%

🔧

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. The Core i5-13600K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the EPYC 7742 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: EPYC 7742 rivals Xeon Platinum 8280.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	EPYC 7742
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	None
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 EPYC 7742 debuted at $6950. On MSRP ($329 vs $6950), the Core i5-13600K is $6621 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13600K delivers 114.5 pts/$ vs 10.0 pts/$ for the EPYC 7742 — making the Core i5-13600K the 167.9% better value option.