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 i5-13400F

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.9% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $107 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 5 8400F

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,554 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.0 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 5 8400F

2024

Why buy it

✅+1.9% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $107 less on MSRP ($196 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($196 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,554 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.0 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Ryzen 5 8400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 8400F is ahead with a 6.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F pulls ahead with 1.9% better PassMark. Core i5-13400F also has the bigger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F is the better fit. You are getting 1.9% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core i5-13400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13400F is $107 cheaper on MSRP at $196 MSRP versus $303 MSRP, and it gives you 1.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 8400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 57.6% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 81.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 5 8400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Ryzen 5 8400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023). 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 i5-13400F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 8400F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	171 FPS	178 FPS
medium	158 FPS	151 FPS
high	132 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	151 FPS
medium	123 FPS	124 FPS
high	99 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	74 FPS	72 FPS
high	59 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	545 FPS	374 FPS
medium	464 FPS	316 FPS
high	389 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	238 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	326 FPS
medium	403 FPS	282 FPS
high	345 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	214 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	243 FPS
medium	247 FPS	215 FPS
high	231 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	165 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	530 FPS	614 FPS
medium	449 FPS	614 FPS
high	415 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	614 FPS
medium	422 FPS	603 FPS
high	382 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	492 FPS
medium	331 FPS	431 FPS
high	296 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8400F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	626 FPS	614 FPS
medium	626 FPS	614 FPS
high	626 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	614 FPS
medium	626 FPS	614 FPS
high	598 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	601 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	610 FPS
medium	492 FPS	548 FPS
high	439 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 5 8400F

Core i5-13400F

The Core i5-13400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 25,029 points. Launch price was $196.

Ryzen 5 8400F

The Ryzen 5 8400F is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,554 points. Launch price was $170.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 8400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-13400F has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8400F — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8400F uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 5 8400F's 24,554 — a 1.9% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8400F.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8400F
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	4.2 GHz+68%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark	25,029+2%	24,554
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 8400F uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8400F
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) / not specified (Ryzen 5 8400F). Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8400F
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400F launched at $196 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8400F debuted at $303. On MSRP ($196 vs $303), the Core i5-13400F is $107 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 81.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8400F — making the Core i5-13400F the 44.7% better value option.