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: +7.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,371 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $1,780 MSRP).
✅Delivers 556.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 17.1 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $1,780 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 150W, a 25W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5220R, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 5220R

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (30,372 vs 45,784).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.1 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($1,780 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌20% higher power demand at 150W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Xeon Gold 5220R

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,371 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $1,780 MSRP).
✅Delivers 556.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 17.1 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $1,780 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 150W, a 25W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5220R, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌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 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (30,372 vs 45,784).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.1 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($1,780 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌20% higher power demand at 150W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Xeon Gold 5220R?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 5220R 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 7.0% 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 i7-13700K is the better fit. You are getting 50.7% 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 $1,371 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $1,780 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 556.1% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 17.1 PassMark/$), 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 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 24/48. 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 Gold 5220R Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5220R
1080p
low	284 FPS	196 FPS
medium	268 FPS	158 FPS
high	223 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	157 FPS
medium	200 FPS	123 FPS
high	159 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	72 FPS
medium	134 FPS	60 FPS
high	103 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5220R

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5220R
1080p
low	689 FPS	233 FPS
medium	580 FPS	207 FPS
high	484 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	145 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	200 FPS
medium	525 FPS	180 FPS
high	441 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	123 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	125 FPS
medium	314 FPS	114 FPS
high	295 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5220R

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5220R
1080p
low	648 FPS	759 FPS
medium	530 FPS	759 FPS
high	467 FPS	759 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	753 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	759 FPS
medium	491 FPS	676 FPS
high	427 FPS	635 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	569 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	492 FPS
medium	374 FPS	406 FPS
high	339 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	292 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5220R

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5220R
1080p
low	970 FPS	759 FPS
medium	883 FPS	759 FPS
high	766 FPS	703 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	613 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	716 FPS
medium	740 FPS	628 FPS
high	642 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	466 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	521 FPS
medium	515 FPS	465 FPS
high	463 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	351 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5220R

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Xeon Gold 5220R

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 Gold 5220R

The Xeon Gold 5220R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. L2 cache: 24 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 30,372 points. Launch price was $1,555.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5220R offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Gold 5220R has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5220R — a 29.8% 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 Gold 5220R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Xeon Gold 5220R's 30,372 — a 40.5% lead for the Core i7-13700K. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,846 vs 1,327, a 72.8% lead for the Core i7-13700K that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 5220R.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5220R
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	24 / 48+50%
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+35%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+55%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	35.75 MB+19%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	24 MB+1100%
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	45,784+51%	30,372
Cinebench R23 Multi	31,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,846+114%	1,327
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,980	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-13700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 5220R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i7-13700K versus DDR4-2667 on the Xeon Gold 5220R — the Core i7-13700K supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 5220R supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 192 GB — 136.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-13700K) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 5220R). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-13700K) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 5220R) — the Xeon Gold 5220R offers 28 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 C620 (Xeon Gold 5220R).

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5220R
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600+25%	DDR4-2667
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	1024 GB+433%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Xeon Gold 5220R supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: true (Core i7-13700K) vs Yes (Xeon Gold 5220R). The Core i7-13700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon Gold 5220R requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5220R
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	true	Yes

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-13700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 5220R debuted at $1780. On MSRP ($409 vs $1780), the Core i7-13700K is $1371 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13700K delivers 111.9 pts/$ vs 17.1 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 5220R — making the Core i7-13700K the 147.1% better value option.