Core i5-13400 vs Ryzen 7 8840U

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

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $221 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 8840U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Ryzen 7 8840U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,415 vs 23,769).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Core i5-13400

2023

Ryzen 7 8840U

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $221 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 8840U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,415 vs 23,769).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400 better than Ryzen 7 8840U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 8840U is ahead with a 14.2% 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 1.5% better PassMark. Core i5-13400 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 i5-13400 is the better fit. You are getting 1.5% 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 i5-13400 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13400 is at an unclear MSRP at $221 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 1.5% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 8840U is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 14.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (107.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i5-13400 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 8840U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	171 FPS	255 FPS
medium	158 FPS	235 FPS
high	132 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	227 FPS
medium	123 FPS	189 FPS
high	99 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	157 FPS
medium	74 FPS	133 FPS
high	59 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 8840U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	544 FPS	468 FPS
medium	464 FPS	388 FPS
high	389 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	301 FPS
1440p
low	457 FPS	409 FPS
medium	403 FPS	358 FPS
high	345 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	269 FPS
medium	247 FPS	247 FPS
high	231 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	202 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 8840U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	530 FPS	585 FPS
medium	449 FPS	585 FPS
high	415 FPS	585 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	585 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	585 FPS
medium	422 FPS	585 FPS
high	382 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	521 FPS
medium	331 FPS	458 FPS
high	296 FPS	406 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	345 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 8840U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	594 FPS	585 FPS
medium	594 FPS	585 FPS
high	594 FPS	585 FPS
ultra	594 FPS	585 FPS
1440p
low	594 FPS	585 FPS
medium	594 FPS	585 FPS
high	594 FPS	585 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	548 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	559 FPS
medium	492 FPS	501 FPS
high	439 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	384 FPS

Open Core i5-13400 Open Ryzen 7 8840U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400 and Ryzen 7 8840U

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 8840U

The Ryzen 7 8840U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,415 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400 packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 7 8840U 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 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8840U — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8840U (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-13400 uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 8840U uses Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400 scores 23,769 against the Ryzen 7 8840U's 23,415 — a 1.5% lead for the Core i5-13400. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8840U.

Feature	Core i5-13400	Ryzen 7 8840U
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.1 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
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)	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)
PassMark	23,769+2%	23,415

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 8840U uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.