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

✅+74.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 14) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
9.5% HIGHER MSRP
$196 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 8500G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.9% higher average FPS across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $17 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 740M, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,310 vs 16,211).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅+74.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 14) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.9% higher average FPS across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $17 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $196 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 740M, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
9.5% HIGHER MSRP
$196 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 8500G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,310 vs 16,211).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Ryzen 5 8500G?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 8500G is ahead with a 10.9% average FPS lead across 9 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F pulls ahead with 74.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. 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 74.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 9.5% more expensive on MSRP at $196 MSRP versus $179 MSRP, and it gives you 74.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 8500G is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 10.9% average FPS lead across 9 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 6.4% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 120.0 PassMark/$), 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 8500G is still an elite gaming CPU and a very strong platform-matched choice because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap while remaining one of the strongest gaming chips you can buy.

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

Ryzen 5 8500G 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 8500G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	171 FPS	267 FPS
medium	158 FPS	238 FPS
high	132 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	231 FPS
medium	123 FPS	186 FPS
high	99 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	159 FPS
medium	74 FPS	130 FPS
high	59 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	545 FPS	455 FPS
medium	464 FPS	371 FPS
high	389 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	279 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	394 FPS
medium	403 FPS	338 FPS
high	345 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	287 FPS
medium	247 FPS	251 FPS
high	231 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	530 FPS	537 FPS
medium	449 FPS	537 FPS
high	415 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	537 FPS
medium	422 FPS	537 FPS
high	382 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	497 FPS
medium	331 FPS	418 FPS
high	296 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	293 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8500G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	626 FPS	537 FPS
medium	626 FPS	537 FPS
high	626 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	537 FPS
medium	626 FPS	537 FPS
high	598 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	537 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	537 FPS
medium	492 FPS	519 FPS
high	439 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 5 8500G

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 8500G

The Ryzen 5 8500G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 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: 21,481 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 8500G 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 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8500G — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8500G (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 5 8500G's 21,481 — a 15.3% lead for the Core i5-13400F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 16,211 vs 9,310 (54.1% advantage for the Core i5-13400F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,407 vs 2,500, a 3.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,408 vs 10,000 (13.2% advantage for the Core i5-13400F). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8500G.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8500G
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.5 GHz+40%
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)	Phoenix2 (2024)
PassMark	25,029+17%	21,481
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211+74%	9,310
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	2,500+4%
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408+14%	10,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 8500G supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 192 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13400F) vs 14 (Ryzen 5 8500G) — the Core i5-13400F offers 6 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-13400F) and A620,B650,B650E,X670,X670E,B840,B850,X870,X870E (Ryzen 5 8500G).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8500G
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	256 GB+33%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20+43%	14

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 8500G has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 8500G). The Ryzen 5 8500G includes integrated graphics (Radeon 740M), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 5 8500G targets General Use. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600; Ryzen 5 8500G rivals Core i5-13400.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 5 8500G
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 740M
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	General Use

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400F launched at $196 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8500G debuted at $179. On MSRP ($196 vs $179), the Ryzen 5 8500G is $17 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400F delivers 127.7 pts/$ vs 120.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8500G — making the Core i5-13400F the 6.2% better value option.