Intel Core i5-13400 vs Intel Core i9-12900K

Processor comparisons   08-10-2022
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i5-13400 vs Intel Core i9-12900K and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, programming, machine learning, rendering, video editing. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like PCMark 10, MATLAB, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, AIDA64, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, WPrime, PassMark, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, RealBench.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Valheim
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Fortnite
Halo Infinite
Rainbow Six Siege
Death Stranding
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Grand Theft Auto V
Borderlands 3
Last Man Standing
Cyberpunk 2077
Apex Legends
DOOM: Eternal
Red Dead Redemption 2
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Watch Dogs Legion
Fallout 76
Valorant
Overwatch

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i5-13400.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-13400

59%

Core i9-12900K

67%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900K is 11% better than Core i5-13400. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-13400

56%

Core i9-12900K

64%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.3	113.8
Valorant	114.0	129.3
Cyberpunk 2077	63.8	72.4
Apex Legends	107.1	121.5
Call of Duty Warzone	85.5	97.0
Overwatch	92.3	104.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.6	89.2
DOOM Eternal	57.0	64.6
Warzone	88.9	100.8
Assassin's Creed	95.7	108.6
Valheim	94.6	107.3

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-13400

91%

Core i9-12900K

97%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-12900K is more energy efficient than the Core i5-13400 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-13400	Intel Core i9-12900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	276	489
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2844	5150
Cinbench 20 Single-core	457	816
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6319	11450
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1603	2896
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18171	32950

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-13400	Intel Core i9-12900K
Single-Core	1465	7546
Multi-Core	30969	56332

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-13400	Intel Core i9-12900K
Single-Core	1786	3641
Multi-Core	12045	25262

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-13400	Intel Core i9-12900K
Announcement date	September 23, 2022	July 21, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1700
Core name	Raptor Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	13	12
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	5.2 MHz
Frequency	2.5 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	10	16
Threads	16	24
Bus rate	16 GT/s	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	14200 millions	12400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	125 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	4800	6400
Memory bandwidth	68 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	1 MB	2 MB
L2 cache	1 MB	14 MB
L3 cache	16 MB	30 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-12900K is 35% better than Core i5-13400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900K has 6 more core than Core i5-13400. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-13400 is better: 4
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900K is better: 30
Although it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-13400 and Intel Core i9-12900K before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-13400 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-13400 specs and review.

Intel Core i9-12900K - all data

• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score
• Cinebench r15 score

• Intel Core i9-12900K specs and review.