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

✅+7.4% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 5980HX.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5980HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,300 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅+7.4% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 5980HX.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5980HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,300 vs 25,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-13400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13400F better than Ryzen 9 5980HX?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 5980HX is ahead with a 1.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-13400F pulls ahead with 7.4% better PassMark. 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 7.4% 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 i5-13400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-13400F is at an unclear MSRP at $196 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 7.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 5980HX is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-13400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FP6, 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 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 9 5980HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	171 FPS	260 FPS
medium	158 FPS	239 FPS
high	132 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	231 FPS
medium	123 FPS	192 FPS
high	99 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	159 FPS
medium	74 FPS	134 FPS
high	59 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	545 FPS	427 FPS
medium	464 FPS	356 FPS
high	389 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	273 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	357 FPS
medium	403 FPS	312 FPS
high	345 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	245 FPS
medium	247 FPS	220 FPS
high	231 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	180 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	530 FPS	582 FPS
medium	449 FPS	582 FPS
high	415 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	582 FPS
medium	422 FPS	532 FPS
high	382 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	456 FPS
medium	331 FPS	396 FPS
high	296 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	282 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	626 FPS	582 FPS
medium	626 FPS	582 FPS
high	626 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	582 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	582 FPS
medium	626 FPS	582 FPS
high	598 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	475 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	511 FPS
medium	492 FPS	460 FPS
high	439 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	348 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 9 5980HX

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 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.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5980HX offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-13400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5980HX (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 9 5980HX's 23,300 — a 7.2% lead for the Core i5-13400F. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HX.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.8 GHz+4%
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)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	25,029+7%	23,300
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,211	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,407	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,408	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13400F uses the LGA1700 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 DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-13400F versus LPDDR4-4266 on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — the Core i5-13400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-13400F supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13400F) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HX) — the Core i5-13400F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Socket	LGA1700	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+200%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 5980HX 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 9 5980HX). The Ryzen 9 5980HX includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (8CU)), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 9 5980HX targets Mobile High-End. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600.