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

✅Better for gaming: +12.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,936 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Delivers 691.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 14.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 250W, a 125W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Xeon 6740E needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 76,167).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 96 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6740E, which brings 96 cores / 96 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.

Xeon 6740E

2024

Why buy it

✅+102.3% higher PassMark.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 96 cores / 96 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.5 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($5,265 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 250W vs 125W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-13600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-13600K

2022

Xeon 6740E

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,936 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Delivers 691.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 14.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $5,265 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 250W, a 125W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Xeon 6740E needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+102.3% higher PassMark.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 96 cores / 96 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,655 vs 76,167).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 96 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6740E, which brings 96 cores / 96 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.5 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($5,265 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 250W vs 125W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-13600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6740E better than Core i5-13600K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon 6740E makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-13600K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6740E is the better fit. You are getting 102.3% better PassMark, backed by 96 cores and 96 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Xeon 6740E is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-13600K makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon 6740E is 1500.3% more expensive on MSRP at $5,265 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you 102.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-13600K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 12.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-13600K is also 691.1% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 14.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon 6740E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022), 300% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 24 MB), more multi-core headroom with 96 cores / 96 threads instead of 14/20, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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

Xeon 6740E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	281 FPS	189 FPS
medium	264 FPS	152 FPS
high	220 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	153 FPS
medium	198 FPS	119 FPS
high	158 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	71 FPS
medium	133 FPS	59 FPS
high	102 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Xeon 6740E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	632 FPS	437 FPS
medium	533 FPS	378 FPS
high	450 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	241 FPS
1440p
low	540 FPS	359 FPS
medium	474 FPS	319 FPS
high	403 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	203 FPS
4K
low	316 FPS	222 FPS
medium	282 FPS	201 FPS
high	269 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	135 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Xeon 6740E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	663 FPS	934 FPS
medium	543 FPS	831 FPS
high	477 FPS	779 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	746 FPS
medium	499 FPS	655 FPS
high	434 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	546 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	479 FPS
medium	381 FPS	378 FPS
high	344 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Xeon 6740E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-13600K	Xeon 6740E
1080p
low	941 FPS	918 FPS
medium	941 FPS	830 FPS
high	923 FPS	715 FPS
ultra	831 FPS	610 FPS
1440p
low	941 FPS	710 FPS
medium	850 FPS	620 FPS
high	738 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	651 FPS	450 FPS
4K
low	651 FPS	509 FPS
medium	588 FPS	455 FPS
high	529 FPS	400 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	344 FPS

Open Core i5-13600K Open Xeon 6740E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-13600K and Xeon 6740E

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.

Xeon 6740E

The Xeon 6740E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Sierra Forest (2024) architecture. It features 96 cores and 96 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 4 MB (per module). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 76,167 points. Launch price was $5,265.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-13600K packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Xeon 6740E offers 96 cores / 96 threads — the Xeon 6740E has 82 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon 6740E — a 45.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-13600K (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-13600K uses the Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon 6740E uses Sierra Forest (2024) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-13600K scores 37,655 against the Xeon 6740E's 76,167 — a 67.7% lead for the Xeon 6740E. L3 cache: 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K vs 96 MB (total) on the Xeon 6740E.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Xeon 6740E
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	96 / 96+586%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+59%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+46%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB	96 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	4 MB (per module)+100%
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 3 nm-57%
Architecture	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022)	Sierra Forest (2024)
PassMark	37,655	76,167+102%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-13600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon 6740E uses LGA4710 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-13600K versus 6400 on the Xeon 6740E — the Xeon 6740E supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon 6740E supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 192 GB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-13600K) vs 8 (Xeon 6740E). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-13600K) vs 80 (Xeon 6740E) — the Xeon 6740E offers 60 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 600 series,Intel 700 series (Core i5-13600K) and C741 (Xeon 6740E).

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Xeon 6740E
Socket	LGA1700	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600	6400+127900%
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+4915100%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	80+300%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i5-13600K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon 6740E supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13600K) vs VT-x, VT-d, TDX (Xeon 6740E). The Core i5-13600K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon 6740E requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-13600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Xeon 6740E rivals EPYC 9005.

Feature	Core i5-13600K	Xeon 6740E
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, TDX
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-13600K launched at $329 MSRP, while the Xeon 6740E debuted at $5265. On MSRP ($329 vs $5265), the Core i5-13600K is $4936 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-13600K delivers 114.5 pts/$ vs 14.5 pts/$ for the Xeon 6740E — making the Core i5-13600K the 155.1% better value option.