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 i7-13700K

2022

Why buy it

✅+36.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $330 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Delivers 90.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 58.9 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 150W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-12900KS

2022

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,082 vs 2,846).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (27,796 vs 31,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.9 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($739 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌20% higher power demand at 150W vs 125W.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Core i9-12900KS

2022

Why buy it

✅+36.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $330 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Delivers 90.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 58.9 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 150W, a 25W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,082 vs 2,846).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (27,796 vs 31,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.9 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($739 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌20% higher power demand at 150W vs 125W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Core i9-12900KS?

Yes. Core i7-13700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 11.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 5.2% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-13700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13700K is the better fit. You are getting 11.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads.

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

Core i7-13700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700K is $330 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $739 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 90.0% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 58.9 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 16/24. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i7-13700K Benchmark Check

Core i9-12900KS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-12900KS
1080p
low	284 FPS	283 FPS
medium	268 FPS	269 FPS
high	223 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	192 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	235 FPS
medium	200 FPS	199 FPS
high	159 FPS	162 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	158 FPS
medium	134 FPS	134 FPS
high	103 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-12900KS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-12900KS
1080p
low	689 FPS	716 FPS
medium	580 FPS	603 FPS
high	484 FPS	501 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	443 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	617 FPS
medium	525 FPS	541 FPS
high	441 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	380 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	363 FPS
medium	314 FPS	326 FPS
high	295 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	263 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-12900KS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-12900KS
1080p
low	648 FPS	866 FPS
medium	530 FPS	686 FPS
high	467 FPS	605 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	502 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	748 FPS
medium	491 FPS	602 FPS
high	427 FPS	523 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	523 FPS
medium	374 FPS	432 FPS
high	339 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	332 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-12900KS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-12900KS
1080p
low	970 FPS	973 FPS
medium	883 FPS	879 FPS
high	766 FPS	763 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	812 FPS
medium	740 FPS	723 FPS
high	642 FPS	626 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	556 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	555 FPS
medium	515 FPS	502 FPS
high	463 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	396 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core i9-12900KS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Core i9-12900KS

Core i7-13700K

The Core i7-13700K 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 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). 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: 45,784 points. Launch price was $409.

Core i9-12900KS

The Core i9-12900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 43,528 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-13700K and Core i9-12900KS share an identical 16-core/24-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 5.3 GHz on the Core i9-12900KS — a 1.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-12900KS uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Core i9-12900KS's 43,528 — a 5.1% lead for the Core i7-13700K. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 31,000 vs 27,796 (10.9% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,846 vs 2,082, a 31% lead for the Core i7-13700K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 30 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-12900KS
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	16 / 24
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+2%	5.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	30 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+60%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	45,784+5%	43,528
Cinebench R23 Multi	31,000+12%	27,796
Geekbench 6 Single	2,846+37%	2,082
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,980	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Core i7-13700K supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel Z790,Intel H770,Intel B760,Intel Z690,Intel H670,Intel B660,Intel H610 (Core i7-13700K) and LGA1700 (Core i9-12900KS).

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-12900KS
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-12900KS supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: true (Core i7-13700K) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-12900KS). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-13700K) and UHD 770 (Core i9-12900KS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core i9-12900KS
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	UHD 770
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-13700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Core i9-12900KS debuted at $739. On MSRP ($409 vs $739), the Core i7-13700K is $330 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13700K delivers 111.9 pts/$ vs 58.9 pts/$ for the Core i9-12900KS — making the Core i7-13700K the 62.1% better value option.