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 i9-13900KS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $749 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (60,543 vs 61,578).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 128 MB).
❌172.7% higher power demand at 150W vs 55W.

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

2025

Why buy it

✅+1.7% higher PassMark.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 36 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 150W, a 95W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900KS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
7.2% HIGHER MSRP
$749 MSRPvs$699 MSRP

Core i9-13900KS

2023

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $749 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+1.7% higher PassMark.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 36 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 150W, a 95W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (60,543 vs 61,578).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 128 MB).
❌172.7% higher power demand at 150W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900KS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
7.2% HIGHER MSRP
$749 MSRPvs$699 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9955HX3D better than Core i9-13900KS?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-13900KS is ahead with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 9955HX3D pulls ahead with 1.7% better PassMark. Ryzen 9 9955HX3D also has the bigger cache pool with 255.6% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 36 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is the better fit. You are getting 1.7% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 255.6% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 36 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i9-13900KS makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is 7.2% more expensive on MSRP at $749 MSRP versus $699 MSRP, and it gives you 1.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-13900KS is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i9-13900KS is also 5.4% better value on MSRP (86.6 vs 82.2 PassMark/$), 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 9955HX3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023), 255.6% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 36 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 24/32. 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 i9-13900KS Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
1080p
low	325 FPS	287 FPS
medium	314 FPS	265 FPS
high	246 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	281 FPS	264 FPS
medium	241 FPS	221 FPS
high	177 FPS	170 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	150 FPS
4K
low	194 FPS	183 FPS
medium	165 FPS	153 FPS
high	122 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	103 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
1080p
low	790 FPS	698 FPS
medium	688 FPS	601 FPS
high	550 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	376 FPS
1440p
low	662 FPS	579 FPS
medium	597 FPS	517 FPS
high	490 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	400 FPS	311 FPS
4K
low	368 FPS	325 FPS
medium	336 FPS	294 FPS
high	312 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	218 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
1080p
low	794 FPS	851 FPS
medium	660 FPS	696 FPS
high	572 FPS	627 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	711 FPS	680 FPS
medium	599 FPS	557 FPS
high	512 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	416 FPS
4K
low	522 FPS	484 FPS
medium	463 FPS	401 FPS
high	412 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	352 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
1080p
low	1089 FPS	1080 FPS
medium	975 FPS	976 FPS
high	853 FPS	854 FPS
ultra	760 FPS	768 FPS
1440p
low	899 FPS	853 FPS
medium	791 FPS	753 FPS
high	690 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	607 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	661 FPS	622 FPS
medium	592 FPS	557 FPS
high	523 FPS	494 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i9-13900KS Open Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-13900KS and Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Core i9-13900KS

The Core i9-13900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.8 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 60,543 points. Launch price was $699.

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

The Ryzen 9 9955HX3D 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: 128 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: 61,578 points. Launch price was $700.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-13900KS packs 24 cores / 32 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Core i9-13900KS has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.8 GHz on the Core i9-13900KS versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D — a 7.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-13900KS (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i9-13900KS uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D uses Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-13900KS scores 60,543 against the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D's 61,578 — a 1.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D. L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-13900KS vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D.

Feature	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
Cores / Threads	24 / 32+50%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	5.8 GHz+7%	5.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+28%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	36 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+256%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025)
PassMark	60,543	61,578+2%
Cinebench R23 Multi	40,998	—
Geekbench 6 Single	3,123	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	21,421	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-13900KS uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i9-13900KS versus 5600 on the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D — the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i9-13900KS supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 96 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-13900KS) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 9955HX3D) — the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z790,B760 (Core i9-13900KS) and FL1 (Ryzen 9 9955HX3D).

Feature	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
Socket	LGA1700	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	5600+111900%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+209715100%	96
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 9955HX3D supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: true (Core i9-13900KS) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen 9 9955HX3D). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-13900KS) and AMD Radeon 610M (Ryzen 9 9955HX3D) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i9-13900KS rivals Ryzen 9 7950X; Ryzen 9 9955HX3D rivals Core Ultra 9 185H.

Feature	Core i9-13900KS	Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	AMD Radeon 610M
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-13900KS launched at $699 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D debuted at $749. On MSRP ($699 vs $749), the Core i9-13900KS is $50 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-13900KS delivers 86.6 pts/$ vs 82.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D — making the Core i9-13900KS the 5.2% better value option.