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 i7-13700K

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 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.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,300 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i7-13700K

2022

Ryzen 9 5980HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 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.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,300 vs 45,784).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i7-13700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Ryzen 9 5980HX?

Yes. Core i7-13700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 17.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 96.5% better PassMark, 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, Core i7-13700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.1% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-13700K is the better fit. You are getting 96.5% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core i7-13700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-13700K is at an unclear MSRP at $409 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 17.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i7-13700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FP6, 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 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 i7-13700K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5980HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	284 FPS	260 FPS
medium	268 FPS	239 FPS
high	223 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	231 FPS
medium	200 FPS	192 FPS
high	159 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	159 FPS
medium	134 FPS	134 FPS
high	103 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	689 FPS	428 FPS
medium	580 FPS	356 FPS
high	484 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	273 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	357 FPS
medium	525 FPS	312 FPS
high	441 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	245 FPS
medium	314 FPS	220 FPS
high	295 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	180 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	648 FPS	582 FPS
medium	530 FPS	582 FPS
high	467 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	582 FPS
medium	491 FPS	532 FPS
high	427 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	456 FPS
medium	374 FPS	396 FPS
high	339 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	282 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
1080p
low	970 FPS	582 FPS
medium	883 FPS	582 FPS
high	766 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	582 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	582 FPS
medium	740 FPS	582 FPS
high	642 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	475 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	511 FPS
medium	515 FPS	460 FPS
high	463 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	348 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen 9 5980HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Ryzen 9 5980HX

Core i7-13700K

The Core i7-13700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 45,784 points. Launch price was $409.

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 i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5980HX offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HX uses Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Ryzen 9 5980HX's 23,300 — a 65.1% lead for the Core i7-13700K. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HX.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+13%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+3%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+88%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Cezanne-HX (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	45,784+96%	23,300
Cinebench R23 Multi	31,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,846	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,980	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-13700K 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 DDR5-5600 on the Core i7-13700K versus LPDDR4-4266 on the Ryzen 9 5980HX — the Core i7-13700K supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-13700K 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 i7-13700K) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HX) — the Core i7-13700K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen 9 5980HX
Socket	LGA1700	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600+25%	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+200%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Core i7-13700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5980HX). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-13700K) and Radeon Graphics (8CU) (Ryzen 9 5980HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5980HX targets Mobile High-End. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.