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

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 9850HX.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9850HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,029 vs 51,665).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Ryzen 9 9850HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +24.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+220% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 610M, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Core i5-13400F

2023

Ryzen 9 9850HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 9850HX.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +24.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+220% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 610M, while Core i5-13400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9850HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,029 vs 51,665).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-13400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9850HX better than Core i5-13400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 9850HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 24.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 106.4% 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, Ryzen 9 9850HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 24.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 9850HX is the better fit. You are getting 106.4% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 220% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 20 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 9850HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 9850HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $196 MSRP, and it gives you a 24.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 9 9850HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023), 220% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 20 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 10/16. 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 9850HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	171 FPS	268 FPS
medium	158 FPS	244 FPS
high	132 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	253 FPS
medium	123 FPS	207 FPS
high	99 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	146 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	175 FPS
medium	74 FPS	144 FPS
high	59 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	96 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	545 FPS	669 FPS
medium	464 FPS	576 FPS
high	389 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	375 FPS
1440p
low	458 FPS	564 FPS
medium	403 FPS	503 FPS
high	345 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	280 FPS	318 FPS
medium	247 FPS	288 FPS
high	231 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	530 FPS	849 FPS
medium	449 FPS	678 FPS
high	415 FPS	600 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	514 FPS
1440p
low	490 FPS	678 FPS
medium	422 FPS	542 FPS
high	382 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	397 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	484 FPS
medium	331 FPS	400 FPS
high	296 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	626 FPS	1072 FPS
medium	626 FPS	966 FPS
high	626 FPS	843 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	760 FPS
1440p
low	626 FPS	842 FPS
medium	626 FPS	747 FPS
high	598 FPS	652 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	619 FPS
medium	492 FPS	553 FPS
high	439 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	421 FPS

Open Core i5-13400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13400F and Ryzen 9 9850HX

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 9850HX

The Ryzen 9 9850HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 51,665 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13400F packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9850HX offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 9850HX has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-13400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9850HX — a 12.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9850HX (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-13400F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9850HX uses Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13400F scores 25,029 against the Ryzen 9 9850HX's 51,665 — a 69.5% lead for the Ryzen 9 9850HX. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-13400F vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9850HX.

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	12 / 24+20%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.2 GHz+13%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+220%
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)	Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025)
PassMark	25,029	51,665+106%
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 9850HX uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-13400F versus 5600 on the Ryzen 9 9850HX — the Ryzen 9 9850HX supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 192 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13400F) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 9850HX) — the Ryzen 9 9850HX offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-13400F) and FL1 (Ryzen 9 9850HX).

Feature	Core i5-13400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
Socket	LGA1700	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	5600+111900%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+104857500%	192
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 9850HX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 9850HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen 9 9850HX). The Ryzen 9 9850HX includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 610M), while the Core i5-13400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-13400F rivals Ryzen 5 7600; Ryzen 9 9850HX rivals Core Ultra 7 255HX.