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 i5-13400

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $178 less on MSRP ($221 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 107.6 vs 58.7 PassMark/$ ($221 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3800XT across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3800XT

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,441 vs 23,769).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.7 vs 107.6 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-13400

2023

Ryzen 7 3800XT

2020

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $178 less on MSRP ($221 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 107.6 vs 58.7 PassMark/$ ($221 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3800XT across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,441 vs 23,769).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.7 vs 107.6 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400 better than Ryzen 7 3800XT?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 3800XT is ahead with a 3.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400 pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 3800XT also has the bigger cache pool with 60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400 is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-13400 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13400 is $178 cheaper on MSRP at $221 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and it gives you 1.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 3800XT is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 83.1% better value on MSRP (107.6 vs 58.7 PassMark/$), 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 AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 3800XT 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?

Core i5-13400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i5-13400 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3800XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	171 FPS	172 FPS
medium	158 FPS	145 FPS
high	132 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	147 FPS
medium	123 FPS	119 FPS
high	99 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	82 FPS
medium	74 FPS	72 FPS
high	59 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	545 FPS	586 FPS
medium	464 FPS	502 FPS
high	389 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	341 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	507 FPS
medium	403 FPS	439 FPS
high	345 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	296 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	315 FPS
medium	247 FPS	275 FPS
high	231 FPS	240 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	207 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	530 FPS	586 FPS
medium	449 FPS	586 FPS
high	415 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	586 FPS
medium	422 FPS	562 FPS
high	382 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	405 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	504 FPS
medium	331 FPS	414 FPS
high	296 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	301 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	594 FPS	586 FPS
medium	594 FPS	586 FPS
high	594 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	594 FPS	586 FPS
1440p
low	594 FPS	586 FPS
medium	594 FPS	586 FPS
high	594 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	547 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	570 FPS
medium	492 FPS	510 FPS
high	439 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	398 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400 and Ryzen 7 3800XT

Core i5-13400

The Core i5-13400 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: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 23,769 points. Launch price was $221.

Ryzen 7 3800XT

The Ryzen 7 3800XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 23,441 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13400 packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3800XT offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-13400 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400 versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3800XT — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3800XT (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i5-13400 uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3800XT uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400 scores 23,769 against the Ryzen 7 3800XT's 23,441 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i5-13400. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3800XT.

Feature	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 3800XT
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	32 MB+60%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	23,769+1%	23,441

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 3800XT uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 3800XT
Socket	LGA1700	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 i5-13400) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 3800XT). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 3800XT targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 3800XT
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13400 launched at $221 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3800XT debuted at $399. On MSRP ($221 vs $399), the Core i5-13400 is $178 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13400 delivers 107.6 pts/$ vs 58.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3800XT — making the Core i5-13400 the 58.7% better value option.