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: +25.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Costs $137 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 33.7 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌257.1% higher power demand at 125W vs 35W.

Xeon W-1290T

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 125W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,409 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.7 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($546 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Xeon W-1290T

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Costs $137 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 33.7 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 125W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌257.1% higher power demand at 125W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,409 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.7 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($546 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Xeon W-1290T?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1290T 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 25.2% 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 148.7% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 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 $137 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $546 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 232.0% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 33.7 PassMark/$), 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 LGA1200, 50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 10/20. 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 W-1290T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	284 FPS	183 FPS
medium	268 FPS	149 FPS
high	223 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	149 FPS
medium	200 FPS	118 FPS
high	159 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	83 FPS
medium	134 FPS	72 FPS
high	103 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon W-1290T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	689 FPS	290 FPS
medium	580 FPS	242 FPS
high	484 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	250 FPS
medium	525 FPS	215 FPS
high	441 FPS	185 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	159 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	155 FPS
medium	314 FPS	133 FPS
high	295 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	110 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon W-1290T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	648 FPS	460 FPS
medium	530 FPS	460 FPS
high	467 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	460 FPS
medium	491 FPS	460 FPS
high	427 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	460 FPS
medium	374 FPS	456 FPS
high	339 FPS	406 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	339 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon W-1290T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	970 FPS	460 FPS
medium	883 FPS	460 FPS
high	766 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	460 FPS
medium	740 FPS	460 FPS
high	642 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	460 FPS
medium	515 FPS	460 FPS
high	463 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	422 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon W-1290T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Xeon W-1290T

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 W-1290T

The Xeon W-1290T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 18,409 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon W-1290T offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 4.7 GHz on the Xeon W-1290T — a 13.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i7-13700K is built on the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Xeon W-1290T's 18,409 — a 85.3% lead for the Core i7-13700K. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 20 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon W-1290T.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon W-1290T
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+60%	10 / 20
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+15%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+79%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+50%	20 MB Intel® Smart Cache
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	—
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	—
PassMark	45,784+149%	18,409
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 W-1290T uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon W-1290T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
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 W-1290T). The Core i7-13700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon W-1290T requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon W-1290T
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 W-1290T debuted at $546. On MSRP ($409 vs $546), the Core i7-13700K is $137 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13700K delivers 111.9 pts/$ vs 33.7 pts/$ for the Xeon W-1290T — making the Core i7-13700K the 107.4% better value option.