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 i9-13900E

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No 3D V-Cache or similar L3 advantage, which matters in CPU-limited gaming (36 MB vs 96 MB).
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (15,000 vs 18,500).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 83.4 PassMark/$ ($554 MSRP vs $479 MSRP).

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

2024

Why buy it

✅Massive L3 cache advantage with 96 MB vs 36 MB, which is a real win in CPU-limited gaming.
✅Costs $75 less on MSRP ($479 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 83.4 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($479 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

Core i9-13900E

2023

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Massive L3 cache advantage with 96 MB vs 36 MB, which is a real win in CPU-limited gaming.
✅Costs $75 less on MSRP ($479 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 83.4 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($479 MSRP vs $554 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌No 3D V-Cache or similar L3 advantage, which matters in CPU-limited gaming (36 MB vs 96 MB).
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (15,000 vs 18,500).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 83.4 PassMark/$ ($554 MSRP vs $479 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 9800X3D better than Core i9-13900E?

Yes. Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.2% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data, 23.3% better Geekbench multi-core, 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, Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.2% more average FPS across 43 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 96 MB vs 36 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the better fit. You are getting 23.3% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 36 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 9800X3D is $75 cheaper on MSRP at $479 MSRP versus $554 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.2% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 14.2% better value on MSRP (83.4 vs 73.1 PassMark/$), 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 LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i9-13900E 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 7 9800X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 36 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 24/32. 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 i9-13900E Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 9800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-13900E	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
1080p
low	305 FPS	276 FPS
medium	288 FPS	257 FPS
high	234 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	192 FPS
1440p
low	268 FPS	260 FPS
medium	229 FPS	217 FPS
high	174 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	155 FPS
4K
low	184 FPS	179 FPS
medium	157 FPS	149 FPS
high	118 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i9-13900E Open Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-13900E	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
1080p
low	412 FPS	880 FPS
medium	360 FPS	713 FPS
high	293 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	257 FPS	474 FPS
1440p
low	350 FPS	697 FPS
medium	314 FPS	591 FPS
high	261 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	210 FPS	383 FPS
4K
low	197 FPS	383 FPS
medium	179 FPS	328 FPS
high	170 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	263 FPS

Open Core i9-13900E Open Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-13900E	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
1080p
low	1012 FPS	944 FPS
medium	1012 FPS	772 FPS
high	977 FPS	698 FPS
ultra	838 FPS	604 FPS
1440p
low	991 FPS	731 FPS
medium	881 FPS	598 FPS
high	793 FPS	529 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	452 FPS
4K
low	599 FPS	506 FPS
medium	519 FPS	419 FPS
high	463 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	316 FPS

Open Core i9-13900E Open Ryzen 7 9800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-13900E	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
1080p
low	1012 FPS	999 FPS
medium	1012 FPS	999 FPS
high	935 FPS	907 FPS
ultra	810 FPS	811 FPS
1440p
low	1010 FPS	885 FPS
medium	881 FPS	778 FPS
high	761 FPS	685 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	592 FPS
4K
low	756 FPS	639 FPS
medium	662 FPS	568 FPS
high	578 FPS	507 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i9-13900E Open Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-13900E and Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Core i9-13900E

The Core i9-13900E 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 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 40,476 points. Launch price was $499.

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 November 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 39,966 points. Launch price was $479.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-13900E packs 24 cores / 32 threads, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-13900E has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-13900E versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D — identical boost frequencies (base: 1.8 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i9-13900E uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D uses Granite Ridge (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-13900E scores 40,476 against the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's 39,966 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i9-13900E. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,606 vs 3,450, a 27.9% lead for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 15,000 vs 18,500 (20.9% advantage for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D). L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-13900E vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Feature	Core i9-13900E	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Cores / Threads	24 / 32+200%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz	5.2 GHz
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	4.7 GHz+161%
L3 Cache	36 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Granite Ridge (2024−2025)
PassMark	40,476+1%	39,966
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	23,277
Geekbench 6 Single	2,606	3,450+32%
Geekbench 6 Multi	15,000	18,500+23%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-13900E uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D 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 i9-13900E) vs 28 (Ryzen 7 9800X3D) — the Ryzen 7 9800X3D offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: W680,Q670,Z790,H770 (Core i9-13900E) and X670E,B650E,X870E,B850 (Ryzen 7 9800X3D).

Feature	Core i9-13900E	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 7 9800X3D supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-13900E) vs AMD-V, AMD-Vi (Ryzen 7 9800X3D). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-13900E) and Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 7 9800X3D) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-13900E targets Embedded, Ryzen 7 9800X3D targets Extreme Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 9800X3D rivals Core i9-14900K.

Feature	Core i9-13900E	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, AMD-Vi
Target Use	Embedded	Extreme Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-13900E launched at $554 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D debuted at $479. On MSRP ($554 vs $479), the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is $75 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-13900E delivers 73.1 pts/$ vs 83.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 9800X3D the 13.3% better value option.