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: +95.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 8 MB).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Ryzen Z2 Go mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌6150% higher power demand at 125W vs 2W.

Ryzen Z2 Go

2025

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 125W, a 123W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (5,802 vs 31,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 30 MB).

Core i7-13700K

2022

Ryzen Z2 Go

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +95.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 8 MB).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 125W, a 123W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Ryzen Z2 Go mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌6150% higher power demand at 125W vs 2W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-13700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (5,802 vs 31,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 30 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-13700K better than Ryzen Z2 Go?

Yes. Core i7-13700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 95.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 434.3% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 275.6% higher PassMark, 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 95.1% 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, Core i7-13700K is the better fit. You are getting 434.3% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 275% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 8 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 $409 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 95.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (111.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen Z2 Go is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022). 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 Z2 Go Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	284 FPS	176 FPS
medium	268 FPS	139 FPS
high	223 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	145 FPS
medium	200 FPS	113 FPS
high	159 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	77 FPS
medium	134 FPS	65 FPS
high	103 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen Z2 Go

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	689 FPS	286 FPS
medium	580 FPS	241 FPS
high	484 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	249 FPS
medium	525 FPS	213 FPS
high	441 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	163 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	195 FPS
medium	314 FPS	172 FPS
high	295 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	119 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen Z2 Go

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	648 FPS	305 FPS
medium	530 FPS	305 FPS
high	467 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	305 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	305 FPS
medium	491 FPS	305 FPS
high	427 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	305 FPS
medium	374 FPS	305 FPS
high	339 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	220 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen Z2 Go

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	970 FPS	305 FPS
medium	883 FPS	305 FPS
high	766 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	689 FPS	305 FPS
1440p
low	829 FPS	305 FPS
medium	740 FPS	305 FPS
high	642 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	305 FPS
medium	515 FPS	305 FPS
high	463 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	305 FPS

Open Core i7-13700K Open Ryzen Z2 Go

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-13700K and Ryzen Z2 Go

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 Z2 Go

The Ryzen Z2 Go is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Rembrandt R (2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 6 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB + 8 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 12,188 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-13700K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen Z2 Go offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-13700K has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.4 GHz on the Core i7-13700K versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Z2 Go — a 22.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-13700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen Z2 Go uses Rembrandt R (2025) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-13700K scores 45,784 against the Ryzen Z2 Go's 12,188 — a 115.9% lead for the Core i7-13700K. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 31,000 vs 5,802 (136.9% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,846 vs 1,842, a 42.8% lead for the Core i7-13700K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 18,980 vs 6,073 (103% advantage for the Core i7-13700K). L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i7-13700K vs 8 MB on the Ryzen Z2 Go.

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen Z2 Go
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+300%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	5.4 GHz+26%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+13%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+275%	8 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB
Process	Intel 7 nm	6 nm-14%
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Rembrandt R (2025)
PassMark	45,784+276%	12,188
Cinebench R23 Multi	31,000+434%	5,802
Geekbench 6 Single	2,846+55%	1,842
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,980+213%	6,073

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. 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 Z2 Go) — the Core i7-13700K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel Z790,Intel H770,Intel B760,Intel Z690,Intel H670,Intel B660,Intel H610 (Core i7-13700K) and Rembrandt-R (Ryzen Z2 Go).

Feature	Core i7-13700K	Ryzen Z2 Go
Socket	LGA1700	—
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	LPDDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+200%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-13700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: true (Core i7-13700K) vs SVM (Ryzen Z2 Go). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-13700K) and Radeon 680M (Ryzen Z2 Go) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen Z2 Go targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i7-13700K rivals Ryzen 9 7900X; Ryzen Z2 Go rivals Core Ultra 5 135U.