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: +26.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $679 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $1,088 MSRP).
✅Delivers 343.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 25.2 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $1,088 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 150W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Xeon Gold 5317

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (27,448 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.2 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($1,088 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌20% higher power demand at 150W vs 125W.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Xeon Gold 5317

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $679 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $1,088 MSRP).
✅Delivers 343.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 25.2 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $1,088 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

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (27,448 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.2 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($1,088 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌20% higher power demand at 150W vs 125W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Xeon Gold 5317?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 5317 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 26.8% 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 66.8% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 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 $679 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $1,088 MSRP, and it gives you a 26.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 343.7% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 25.2 PassMark/$), 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 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA4189, 66.7% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 18 MB), 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 Gold 5317 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5317
1080p
low	284 FPS	174 FPS
medium	268 FPS	139 FPS
high	223 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	145 FPS
medium	200 FPS	113 FPS
high	159 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	67 FPS
medium	134 FPS	56 FPS
high	103 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5317

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5317
1080p
low	689 FPS	374 FPS
medium	580 FPS	324 FPS
high	484 FPS	269 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	219 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	321 FPS
medium	525 FPS	288 FPS
high	441 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	195 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	205 FPS
medium	314 FPS	186 FPS
high	295 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	127 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5317

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5317
1080p
low	648 FPS	686 FPS
medium	530 FPS	686 FPS
high	467 FPS	686 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	686 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	686 FPS
medium	491 FPS	641 FPS
high	427 FPS	607 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	536 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	481 FPS
medium	374 FPS	376 FPS
high	339 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5317

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5317
1080p
low	970 FPS	686 FPS
medium	883 FPS	686 FPS
high	766 FPS	671 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	580 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	686 FPS
medium	740 FPS	601 FPS
high	642 FPS	519 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	472 FPS
medium	515 FPS	423 FPS
high	463 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	330 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon Gold 5317

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Xeon Gold 5317

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 5317

The Xeon Gold 5317 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 27,448 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5317 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 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5317 — a 40% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5317 uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Xeon Gold 5317's 27,448 — a 50.1% lead for the Core i7-13700K. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 18 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5317.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5317
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+33%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+50%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+13%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+67%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	45,784+67%	27,448
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 Gold 5317 uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5317
Socket	LGA1700	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	—
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i7-13700K) / not specified (Xeon Gold 5317). The Core i7-13700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon Gold 5317 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon Gold 5317
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	true	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-13700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 5317 debuted at $1088. On MSRP ($409 vs $1088), the Core i7-13700K is $679 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13700K delivers 111.9 pts/$ vs 25.2 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 5317 — making the Core i7-13700K the 126.4% better value option.