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 i5-13600K

2022

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 55,711).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9955HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌127.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 55W.

Ryzen 9 9955HX

2025

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 125W, a 70W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i5-13600K

2022

Ryzen 9 9955HX

2025

Why buy it

✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 125W, a 70W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 55,711).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9955HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌127.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9955HX better than Core i5-13600K?

Yes. Ryzen 9 9955HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 48% 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 9955HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.4% 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 9955HX is the better fit. You are getting 48% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 9955HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13600K makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 9955HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13600K is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9955HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022), 166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 14/20. 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 i5-13600K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 9955HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	281 FPS	284 FPS
medium	264 FPS	261 FPS
high	220 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	260 FPS
medium	198 FPS	217 FPS
high	158 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	181 FPS
medium	133 FPS	151 FPS
high	102 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	102 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	632 FPS	666 FPS
medium	533 FPS	577 FPS
high	450 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	369 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	564 FPS
medium	474 FPS	503 FPS
high	403 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	318 FPS
medium	282 FPS	288 FPS
high	269 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	214 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	663 FPS	848 FPS
medium	543 FPS	678 FPS
high	477 FPS	600 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	515 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	678 FPS
medium	499 FPS	542 FPS
high	434 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	397 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	482 FPS
medium	381 FPS	399 FPS
high	344 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	301 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 9955HX
1080p
low	941 FPS	1071 FPS
medium	941 FPS	966 FPS
high	923 FPS	843 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	759 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	840 FPS
medium	850 FPS	746 FPS
high	738 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	564 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	618 FPS
medium	588 FPS	553 FPS
high	529 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	420 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Ryzen 9 9955HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and Ryzen 9 9955HX

Core i5-13600K

The Core i5-13600K 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 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB. 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: 37,655 points. Launch price was $319.

Ryzen 9 9955HX

The Ryzen 9 9955HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2025-01-01. It is based on the Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 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: 55,711 points. Launch price was $650.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9955HX offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen 9 9955HX has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9955HX — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9955HX (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9955HX uses Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the Ryzen 9 9955HX's 55,711 — a 38.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 9955HX. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9955HX.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 9955HX
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	16 / 32+14%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz	5.4 GHz+6%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+40%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB	64 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025)
PassMark	37,655	55,711+48%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	38,010
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,219
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	19,563

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 9955HX uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Core i5-13600K supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 96 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13600K) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 9955HX) — the Ryzen 9 9955HX offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 600 series,Intel 700 series (Core i5-13600K) and AMD FL1 (Ryzen 9 9955HX).

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 9 9955HX
Socket	LGA1700	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+100%	96 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 9955HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13600K) vs true (Ryzen 9 9955HX). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i5-13600K) and Radeon 610M (Ryzen 9 9955HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 9955HX rivals Core Ultra 9 275HX.