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

Processor comparisons   29-01-2023
   If you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-13400F vs Intel Core i9-12900K and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, machine learning, video editing, streaming, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as 7zip, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Prime95, RealBench, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, Blender, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-13400F

59%

Core i9-12900K

67%

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

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-13400F

57%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.6	113.8
Valorant	114.3	129.3
Cyberpunk 2077	64.0	72.4
Apex Legends	107.4	121.5
Call of Duty Warzone	85.7	97.0
Overwatch	92.6	104.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.9	89.2
DOOM Eternal	57.2	64.6
Warzone	89.2	100.8
Assassin's Creed	96.0	108.6
Valheim	94.9	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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 i5-13400F

94%

Core i9-12900K

97%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-12900K is more energy efficient than the Core i5-13400F as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-13400F	Intel Core i9-12900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	282	489
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2875	5150
Cinbench 20 Single-core	465	816
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6385	11450
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1622	2896
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18356	32950

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

	Intel Core i5-13400F	Intel Core i9-12900K
Single-Core	1483	7546
Multi-Core	31282	56332

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

	Intel Core i5-13400F	Intel Core i9-12900K
Single-Core	1837	3641
Multi-Core	12341	25262

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-13400F	Intel Core i9-12900K
Announcement date	January 17, 2023	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	3.3 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	76.8 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	1 MB	2 MB
L2 cache	1 MB	14 MB
L3 cache	20 MB	30 MB
Overclocking	Yes	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 15% better than Core i5-13400F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900K has 6 more core than Core i5-13400F. 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 i5-13400F is better: 5
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900K is better: 29
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Core i9-12900K before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-13400F - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-13400F 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.