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: +12.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 23 MB).
✅Costs $260 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $669 MSRP).
✅Delivers 182.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 39.6 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $669 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Xeon w3-2435

2023

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (26,504 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (23 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.6 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($669 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Xeon w3-2435

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 23 MB).
✅Costs $260 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $669 MSRP).
✅Delivers 182.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.9 vs 39.6 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $669 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W 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 (26,504 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (23 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.6 vs 111.9 PassMark/$ ($669 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Xeon w3-2435?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon w3-2435 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 12.7% 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 72.7% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 23 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 $260 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $669 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 182.6% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 39.6 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon w3-2435 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 w3-2435 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon w3-2435
1080p
low	284 FPS	186 FPS
medium	268 FPS	154 FPS
high	223 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	150 FPS
medium	200 FPS	121 FPS
high	159 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	83 FPS
medium	134 FPS	71 FPS
high	103 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon w3-2435

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon w3-2435
1080p
low	689 FPS	583 FPS
medium	580 FPS	486 FPS
high	484 FPS	401 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	361 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	495 FPS
medium	525 FPS	429 FPS
high	441 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	306 FPS
medium	314 FPS	268 FPS
high	295 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	218 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon w3-2435

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon w3-2435
1080p
low	648 FPS	663 FPS
medium	530 FPS	663 FPS
high	467 FPS	663 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	663 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	663 FPS
medium	491 FPS	663 FPS
high	427 FPS	663 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	650 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	551 FPS
medium	374 FPS	453 FPS
high	339 FPS	412 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	332 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon w3-2435

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Xeon w3-2435
1080p
low	970 FPS	663 FPS
medium	883 FPS	663 FPS
high	766 FPS	663 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	663 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	663 FPS
medium	740 FPS	663 FPS
high	642 FPS	663 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	621 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	663 FPS
medium	515 FPS	596 FPS
high	463 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Xeon w3-2435

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Xeon w3-2435

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 w3-2435

The Xeon w3-2435 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 22.5 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 26,504 points. Launch price was $669.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon w3-2435 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon w3-2435 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon w3-2435 uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Xeon w3-2435's 26,504 — a 53.3% lead for the Core i7-13700K. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 22.5 MB on the Xeon w3-2435.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon w3-2435
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+20%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+10%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+33%	22.5 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	45,784+73%	26,504
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 w3-2435 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon w3-2435
Socket	LGA1700	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
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 w3-2435). The Core i7-13700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon w3-2435 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Xeon w3-2435
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 w3-2435 debuted at $669. On MSRP ($409 vs $669), the Core i7-13700K is $260 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-13700K delivers 111.9 pts/$ vs 39.6 pts/$ for the Xeon w3-2435 — making the Core i7-13700K the 95.4% better value option.