Core i5-13600H vs Ryzen 9 5980HX

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 i5-13600H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.7% higher average FPS across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,291 vs 23,300).

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600H across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600H moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core i5-13600H

2023

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.7% higher average FPS across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,291 vs 23,300).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600H across 23 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600H moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5980HX better than Core i5-13600H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-13600H is ahead with a 13.7% average FPS lead across 23 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5980HX pulls ahead with 0% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5980HX is the better fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 5980HX still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 9 5980HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0% better PassMark.

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

Core i5-13600H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of FP6. 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 i5-13600H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5980HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600H	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	291 FPS	260 FPS
medium	259 FPS	239 FPS
high	218 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	239 FPS	231 FPS
medium	191 FPS	192 FPS
high	157 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	159 FPS
medium	135 FPS	134 FPS
high	104 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-13600H Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600H	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	582 FPS	428 FPS
medium	544 FPS	356 FPS
high	446 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	273 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	357 FPS
medium	469 FPS	312 FPS
high	393 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	345 FPS	245 FPS
medium	291 FPS	220 FPS
high	267 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	180 FPS

Open Core i5-13600H Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600H	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	582 FPS	582 FPS
medium	582 FPS	582 FPS
high	582 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	582 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	582 FPS	582 FPS
medium	582 FPS	532 FPS
high	582 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	507 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	582 FPS	456 FPS
medium	499 FPS	396 FPS
high	445 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	282 FPS

Open Core i5-13600H Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600H	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	582 FPS	582 FPS
medium	582 FPS	582 FPS
high	582 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	582 FPS	582 FPS
1440p
low	582 FPS	582 FPS
medium	582 FPS	582 FPS
high	582 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	582 FPS	475 FPS
4K
low	582 FPS	511 FPS
medium	558 FPS	460 FPS
high	502 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	348 FPS

Open Core i5-13600H Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600H and Ryzen 9 5980HX

Core i5-13600H

The Core i5-13600H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture. It features 12 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 23,291 points. Launch price was $311.

Ryzen 9 5980HX

The Ryzen 9 5980HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 23,300 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13600H packs 12 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5980HX offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-13600H has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i5-13600H versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-13600H uses the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600H scores 23,291 against the Ryzen 9 5980HX's 23,300 — a 0% lead for the Ryzen 9 5980HX. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-13600H vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HX.

Feature	Core i5-13600H	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Cores / Threads	12 / 16+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.3 GHz+18%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024)	Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	23,291	23,300
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,857	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,423	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,684	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600H uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-13600H versus LPDDR4-4266 on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — the Core i5-13600H supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-13600H supports up to 96 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 28 (Core i5-13600H) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HX) — the Core i5-13600H offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-13600H	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Socket	FCBGA1744	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200+25%	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	96 GB+50%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	28+75%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-13600H) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HX). Both include integrated graphics — Iris Xe Graphics 80EU (Core i5-13600H) and Radeon Graphics (8CU) (Ryzen 9 5980HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600H targets High performance laptop, Ryzen 9 5980HX targets Mobile High-End. Direct competitor: Core i5-13600H rivals Ryzen 7 7840HS.

Feature	Core i5-13600H	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Iris Xe Graphics 80EU	Radeon Graphics (8CU)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	High performance laptop	Mobile High-End