Intel Core i5-13420H vs Intel Core i9-13900HK

Processor comparisons   30-01-2023
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-13420H vs Intel Core i9-13900HK and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like UserBenchmark, MATLAB, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, 3DMark, SuperPi, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, WPrime, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, 7zip, RealBench, Furmark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-13900HK or Intel Core i5-13420H.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-13420H

57%

Core i9-13900HK

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-13900HK is 1% better than Core i5-13420H. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-13420H

55%

Core i9-13900HK

57%

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 play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.6	101.6
Valorant	110.9	115.4
Cyberpunk 2077	62.1	64.6
Apex Legends	104.2	108.5
Call of Duty Warzone	83.2	86.6
Overwatch	89.8	93.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.5	79.6
DOOM Eternal	55.4	57.7
Warzone	86.5	90.0
Assassin's Creed	93.1	96.9
Valheim	92.0	95.8

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: 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-13420H

102%

Core i9-13900HK

134%

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 i9-13900HK is more energy efficient than the Core i5-13420H since it has less power consumption: 45W vs. 45W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, 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 i5-13420H	Intel Core i9-13900HK
Cinbench 15 Single-core	201	282
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2207	2730
Cinbench 20 Single-core	342	455
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4922	6039
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1238	1546
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14181	17328

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

	Intel Core i5-13420H	Intel Core i9-13900HK
Single-Core	1130	1415
Multi-Core	24178	29517

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

	Intel Core i5-13420H	Intel Core i9-13900HK
Single-Core	1381	1812
Multi-Core	9395	13291

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 even in new games. It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-13420H	Intel Core i9-13900HK
Announcement date	January 11, 2023	November 12, 2022
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCBGA1744
Core name	Raptor Lake	Raptor Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	13	13
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	5.2 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	8	14
Threads	12	20
Bus rate	16 GT/s	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	14200 millions	14200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	45 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 5200 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5/x 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	4800	6500
Memory bandwidth	68 GB/s	89.6 GB/s
L1 cache	1 MB	2 MB
L2 cache	1 MB	8 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	32 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-13420H is 17% better than Core i9-13900HK in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-13900HK has 6 more core than Core i5-13420H. 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 i5-13420H is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-13900HK is better: 31
Although it should be realized that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-13420H and Intel Core i9-13900HK before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-13420H - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-13420H specs and review.

Intel Core i9-13900HK - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-13900HK specs and review.