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 i9-13900KS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.8% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 86.6 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 150W vs 105W.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 86.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 150W, a 45W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900KS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 40,998).

Core i9-13900KS

2023

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.8% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 86.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 150W, a 45W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 86.6 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 150W vs 105W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900KS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,300 vs 40,998).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-13900KS better than Ryzen 5 7600X?

Yes. Core i9-13900KS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.8% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data, 168% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 113.7% higher 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 i9-13900KS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 22.8% more average FPS across 45 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-13900KS is the better fit. You are getting 168% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 24 cores and 32 threads.

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

Core i9-13900KS is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 7600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-13900KS is 133.8% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.8% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 7600X is also 9.4% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 86.6 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 5 7600X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core i9-13900KS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 32 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i9-13900KS Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	325 FPS	266 FPS
medium	314 FPS	246 FPS
high	246 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	281 FPS	226 FPS
medium	241 FPS	189 FPS
high	177 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	194 FPS	157 FPS
medium	165 FPS	131 FPS
high	122 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	792 FPS	649 FPS
medium	688 FPS	524 FPS
high	550 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	664 FPS	544 FPS
medium	597 FPS	455 FPS
high	490 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	400 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	369 FPS	341 FPS
medium	336 FPS	290 FPS
high	312 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	794 FPS	708 FPS
medium	660 FPS	652 FPS
high	572 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	711 FPS	708 FPS
medium	599 FPS	554 FPS
high	512 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	522 FPS	463 FPS
medium	463 FPS	392 FPS
high	412 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	352 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	1091 FPS	708 FPS
medium	975 FPS	708 FPS
high	853 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	760 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	900 FPS	708 FPS
medium	791 FPS	708 FPS
high	690 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	607 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	662 FPS	560 FPS
medium	592 FPS	502 FPS
high	523 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-13900KS and Ryzen 5 7600X

Core i9-13900KS

The Core i9-13900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.8 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 60,543 points. Launch price was $699.

Ryzen 5 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-13900KS packs 24 cores / 32 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-13900KS has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.8 GHz on the Core i9-13900KS versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 9% clock advantage for the Core i9-13900KS (base: 3.2 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i9-13900KS uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-13900KS scores 60,543 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 72.5% lead for the Core i9-13900KS. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 40,998 vs 15,300 (91.3% advantage for the Core i9-13900KS). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 3,123 vs 2,900, a 7.4% lead for the Core i9-13900KS that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 21,421 vs 13,800 (43.3% advantage for the Core i9-13900KS). L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-13900KS vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	24 / 32+300%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.8 GHz+9%	5.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz	4.7 GHz+47%
L3 Cache	36 MB (total)+13%	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	6 MB+200%
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-29%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	60,543+114%	28,325
Cinebench R23 Multi	40,998+168%	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	3,123+8%	2,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	21,421+55%	13,800

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-13900KS uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Core i9-13900KS supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-13900KS) vs 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) — the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z790,B760 (Core i9-13900KS) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X).

Feature	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 5 7600X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: true (Core i9-13900KS) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-13900KS) and AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core) (Ryzen 5 7600X) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i9-13900KS rivals Ryzen 9 7950X; Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	true	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-13900KS launched at $699 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($699 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 7600X is $400 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-13900KS delivers 86.6 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 9% better value option.