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 i9-13900H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($617 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Costs $318 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 44.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 27,444).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i9-13900H moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core i9-13900H

2023

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Costs $318 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 44.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $617 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($617 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 27,444).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i9-13900H moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-13900H better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Yes. Core i9-13900H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 12.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 25.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-13900H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.0% 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 i9-13900H is the better fit. You are getting 25.6% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i9-13900H is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-13900H is 106.4% more expensive on MSRP at $617 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 64.3% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 44.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i9-13900H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 threads instead of 6/12. 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 i9-13900H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-13900H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	262 FPS	203 FPS
medium	253 FPS	174 FPS
high	210 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	223 FPS	169 FPS
medium	192 FPS	141 FPS
high	154 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	154 FPS	85 FPS
medium	132 FPS	76 FPS
high	101 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-13900H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-13900H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	636 FPS	464 FPS
medium	543 FPS	387 FPS
high	458 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	417 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	397 FPS
medium	492 FPS	334 FPS
high	416 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	325 FPS	263 FPS
medium	296 FPS	226 FPS
high	279 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i9-13900H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-13900H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	648 FPS	546 FPS
medium	530 FPS	473 FPS
high	467 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	508 FPS
medium	491 FPS	413 FPS
high	427 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	348 FPS
medium	374 FPS	292 FPS
high	339 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i9-13900H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-13900H	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	686 FPS	546 FPS
medium	686 FPS	546 FPS
high	686 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	672 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	686 FPS	546 FPS
medium	686 FPS	546 FPS
high	626 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	552 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	555 FPS	529 FPS
medium	504 FPS	484 FPS
high	451 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	394 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i9-13900H Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-13900H and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-13900H

The Core i9-13900H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 27,444 points. Launch price was $617.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-13900H packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-13900H has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i9-13900H versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 16% clock advantage for the Core i9-13900H (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-13900H uses the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-13900H scores 27,444 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 22.7% lead for the Core i9-13900H. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-13900H vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-13900H	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	14 / 20+133%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+17%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+42%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	32 MB+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	27,444+26%	21,845

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-13900H uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-13900H	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	FCBGA1744	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-13900H) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-13900H	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-13900H launched at $617 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($617 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $318 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-13900H delivers 44.5 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 48.6% better value option.