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

✅Better for gaming: +48.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,423 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $1,832 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1278.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 8.1 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $1,832 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Xeon E5-2658A V3 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2658A V3, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon E5-2658A V3

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,879 vs 45,784).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.1 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($1,832 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-13700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Xeon E5-2658A V3

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +48.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,423 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $1,832 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1278.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 8.1 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $1,832 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Xeon E5-2658A V3 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2658A V3, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,879 vs 45,784).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.1 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($1,832 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-13700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Xeon E5-2658A V3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2658A V3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-13700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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 48.4% 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 207.7% better PassMark, 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 $1,423 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $1,832 MSRP, and it gives you a 48.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1278.3% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 8.1 PassMark/$), 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 a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2015), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011-3, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 12/24. 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

Xeon E5-2658A V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	284 FPS	160 FPS
medium	268 FPS	138 FPS
high	223 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	134 FPS
medium	200 FPS	113 FPS
high	159 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	62 FPS
medium	134 FPS	56 FPS
high	103 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	689 FPS	193 FPS
medium	580 FPS	175 FPS
high	484 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	125 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	167 FPS
medium	525 FPS	153 FPS
high	441 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	109 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	109 FPS
medium	314 FPS	101 FPS
high	295 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	71 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	648 FPS	372 FPS
medium	530 FPS	372 FPS
high	467 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	366 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	372 FPS
medium	491 FPS	372 FPS
high	427 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	330 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	372 FPS
medium	374 FPS	316 FPS
high	339 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	970 FPS	372 FPS
medium	883 FPS	372 FPS
high	766 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	372 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	372 FPS
medium	740 FPS	372 FPS
high	642 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	372 FPS
medium	515 FPS	372 FPS
high	463 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	324 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Xeon E5-2658A V3

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.

Xeon E5-2658A V3

The Xeon E5-2658A V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 14,879 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon E5-2658A V3 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 2.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-2658A V3 — a 60.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2658A V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Xeon E5-2658A V3's 14,879 — a 101.9% lead for the Core i7-13700K. Both processors carry 30 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon E5-2658A V3
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+33%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+86%	2.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+55%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	30 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+700%	256K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-68%	22 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	45,784+208%	14,879
Cinebench R23 Multi	31,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,846	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,980	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-13700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-2658A V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i7-13700K versus DDR4-2133 on the Xeon E5-2658A V3 — the Core i7-13700K supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-2658A V3 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 192 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-13700K) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2658A V3). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-13700K) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2658A V3) — the Xeon E5-2658A V3 offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon E5-2658A V3
Socket	LGA1700	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600+25%	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	768 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	40+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-13700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon E5-2658A V3 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: true (Core i7-13700K) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2658A V3). The Core i7-13700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon E5-2658A V3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Xeon E5-2658A V3 targets Server. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon E5-2658A V3
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-13700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2658A V3 debuted at $1832. On MSRP ($409 vs $1832), the Core i7-13700K is $1423 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13700K delivers 111.9 pts/$ vs 8.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2658A V3 — making the Core i7-13700K the 172.9% better value option.