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

✅+4.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 24 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core Ultra 9 285H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Core Ultra 9 285H

2025

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,720 vs 2,846).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (26,500 vs 31,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 30 MB).

Core i7-13700K

2022

Core Ultra 9 285H

2025

Why buy it

✅+4.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 24 MB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core Ultra 9 285H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,720 vs 2,846).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (26,500 vs 31,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 30 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Core Ultra 9 285H?

Yes. Core i7-13700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 17% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 33.4% higher PassMark, 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 1.0% 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 17% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Core i7-13700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700K is at an unclear MSRP at $409 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 1.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Ultra 9 285H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022). 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 i7-13700K Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 9 285H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core Ultra 9 285H
1080p
low	284 FPS	300 FPS
medium	268 FPS	274 FPS
high	223 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	244 FPS
medium	200 FPS	199 FPS
high	159 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	169 FPS
medium	134 FPS	138 FPS
high	103 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core Ultra 9 285H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core Ultra 9 285H
1080p
low	689 FPS	749 FPS
medium	580 FPS	602 FPS
high	484 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	650 FPS
medium	525 FPS	544 FPS
high	441 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	376 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	383 FPS
medium	314 FPS	328 FPS
high	295 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	260 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core Ultra 9 285H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core Ultra 9 285H
1080p
low	648 FPS	858 FPS
medium	530 FPS	826 FPS
high	467 FPS	717 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	611 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	858 FPS
medium	491 FPS	684 FPS
high	427 FPS	591 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	506 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	599 FPS
medium	374 FPS	497 FPS
high	339 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	380 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core Ultra 9 285H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Core Ultra 9 285H
1080p
low	970 FPS	858 FPS
medium	883 FPS	858 FPS
high	766 FPS	839 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	742 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	858 FPS
medium	740 FPS	780 FPS
high	642 FPS	680 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	587 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	594 FPS
medium	515 FPS	529 FPS
high	463 FPS	477 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	416 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Core Ultra 9 285H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Core Ultra 9 285H

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 Ultra 9 285H

The Core Ultra 9 285H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-H (2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 34,327 points. Launch price was $651.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, matching the Core Ultra 9 285H's 16 cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 5.4 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 285H — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core Ultra 9 285H uses Arrow Lake-H (2025) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Core Ultra 9 285H's 34,327 — a 28.6% lead for the Core i7-13700K. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 31,000 vs 26,500 (15.7% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,846 vs 2,720, a 4.5% lead for the Core i7-13700K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 18,980 vs 15,330 (21.3% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 24 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 9 285H.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core Ultra 9 285H
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	16 / 16
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz	5.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+17%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+25%	24 MB (total)
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-H (2025)
PassMark	45,784+33%	34,327
Cinebench R23 Multi	31,000+17%	26,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,846+5%	2,720
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,980+24%	15,330

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-13700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core Ultra 9 285H uses FCBGA2049 (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. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-13700K) vs 28 (Core Ultra 9 285H) — the Core Ultra 9 285H offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel Z790,Intel H770,Intel B760,Intel Z690,Intel H670,Intel B660,Intel H610 (Core i7-13700K) and SoC (Core Ultra 9 285H).

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core Ultra 9 285H
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	LPDDR5x-8400, DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	192 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-13700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: true (Core i7-13700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core Ultra 9 285H). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-13700K) and Intel Arc 140T (8 Xe-cores) (Core Ultra 9 285H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 9 285H targets High-end Mobile Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X; Core Ultra 9 285H rivals Ryzen AI 9 HX 375.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Core Ultra 9 285H
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Intel Arc 140T (8 Xe-cores)
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	High-end Mobile Workstation