Intel Core i5-11500 vs Intel Core i5-13400 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-13400 dominates this comparison. Out of 17 head-to-head benchmark tests, it wins 16. The Core i5-11500 manages a single victory. That one win, however, is worth examining closely because it is the only place where the older chip is the better pick.

The i5-13400 wins every multi-threaded workload by a wide margin. Cinebench R15 multicore shows a 61.3% advantage, with the newer chip scoring 2358 against 1462. Cinebench R20 multicore is similarly lopsided at 39.9% ahead, 8526 versus 6095. PassMark multithread gives the i5-13400 a 38.7% edge, 23719 against 17107. The pattern is consistent across every synthetic workload that stresses all cores.

The i5-13400 also wins the single-thread tests, but the margins are far smaller. PassMark single thread shows a 13% lead, 3538 versus 3131. Cinebench R15 single core is a 24.8% gap, 257 against 206. Cinebench R20 single core is 39.9% apart, 1203 versus 860. These are meaningful differences, but nowhere near the multi-core gulf.

The one bright spot for the i5-11500 is Cinebench R23 single core. It scores 2049 against 1786, a 12.8% advantage. This is the only head-to-head test where the older chip wins. If you are running a workload that is purely dependent on that specific benchmark's single-core behavior, the i5-11500 is the pick. But even here, the i5-13400 wins the other three single-core tests in the database.

For floating-point math, the i5-13400 is devastating. PassMark floating point math shows a 70.8% lead, 58786 versus 34422. That is the largest delta of any test. Integer math is also strongly in favor of the newer chip at 33.2% ahead. Data encryption is 49.9% faster on the i5-13400, and data compression is 43% faster. Prime number finding is 45.1% faster. Physics simulation is 51.2% faster. Extended instruction workloads are 26.8% faster. Random string sorting is 25.9% faster.

The i5-13400 is the correct choice for virtually every use case. The i5-11500 is only relevant if a specific application relies on the exact single-core behavior captured by Cinebench R23 single core.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations built on different nodes. The i5-13400 uses Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process. The i5-11500 uses Rocket Lake architecture on a 14 nm process. Both are fabricated by Intel.

The core counts differ substantially. The i5-13400 has 10 cores and 16 threads. The i5-11500 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i5-13400 gains 4 cores and 4 threads over its predecessor. Both chips have a 65 W TDP and locked multipliers.

Cache configurations are different in the L2 and L3 levels. The i5-13400 has 1.25 MB of L2 per core, while the i5-11500 has 512 KB per core. The L3 cache is 20 MB shared on the i5-13400, versus 12 MB shared on the i5-11500. L1 cache is identical at 80 KB per core. The total cache advantage for the newer chip is significant, especially the larger L3 pool.

The die sizes reflect the process differences. The i5-13400 has a 215 mm² die. The i5-11500 has a 276 mm² die. The newer chip is physically smaller despite having more cores, a direct result of the denser 10 nm process.

Memory support is a major differentiator. The i5-13400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The i5-11500 only supports DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses. The i5-11500 has a recorded memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s; no bandwidth figure is recorded for the i5-13400.

PCIe support also differs. The i5-13400 provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The i5-11500 provides Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. If you need PCIe 5.0 devices, the i5-13400 is the only option here.

Integrated graphics are present on both, but they are different models. The i5-13400 has UHD Graphics 730. The i5-11500 has UHD Graphics 750. Neither is a gaming solution, but the i5-11500's iGPU is a different part number.

The sockets are incompatible. The i5-13400 uses Intel Socket 1700. The i5-11500 uses Intel Socket 1200. You cannot swap one for the other on the same motherboard. Production status also differs: the i5-13400 is listed as Active, while the i5-11500 is End-of-life. Release dates place the i5-13400 in January 2023 and the i5-11500 in March 2021.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The i5-13400 wins every multi-threaded test. Cinebench R15 multicore shows a 61.3% lead, Cinebench R20 multicore is 39.9% ahead, and PassMark multithread is 38.7% ahead. The larger core and thread count is the obvious driver.

Q: Is the i5-11500 better in any benchmark?

A: Yes, in exactly one test. The i5-11500 wins Cinebench R23 single core with a score of 2049 against 1786, a 12.8% advantage. It loses every other head-to-head test in the database.

Q: Do these CPUs use the same motherboard socket?

A: No. The i5-13400 uses Intel Socket 1700, and the i5-11500 uses Intel Socket 1200. They are not interchangeable, and each requires a compatible motherboard.

Q: Can the i5-13400 use DDR4 memory?

A: Yes. The i5-13400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The i5-11500 only supports DDR4. If you are upgrading from an older DDR4 platform, the i5-13400 gives you the option to keep DDR4 or move to DDR5.

Q: How do the integrated graphics compare?

A: The i5-13400 has UHD Graphics 730, and the i5-11500 has UHD Graphics 750. Both are integrated solutions, but they are different models.

Q: What is the production status of each CPU?

A: The i5-13400 is listed as Active. The i5-11500 is listed as End-of-life.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-13400 | Intel Core i5-11500 |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Cores | 10 | 6 |

| Threads | 16 | 12 |

| Base clock | 2.50 GHz | 2.70 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.60 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| Process node | 10 nm | 14 nm |

| Die size | 215 mm² | 276 mm² |

| L2 cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 20 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |

| Memory support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory bandwidth | Not recorded | 51.2 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 16 lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 20 lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 730 | UHD Graphics 750 |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | Intel Socket 1200 |

| Architecture | Raptor Lake | Rocket Lake |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | 2023-01-03 | 2021-03-15 |

| Launch MSRP | $221 | $192 |

The two CPUs share the same 65 W TDP, 80 KB L1 per core, dual-channel memory bus, non-unlocked multiplier, and 4.60 GHz boost clock. They are identical in those fields. The base clock is slightly higher on the i5-11500 at 2.70 GHz versus 2.50 GHz, but that does not translate into a performance advantage in the recorded benchmarks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest win for the i5-13400 is PassMark floating point math. It scores 58786 against 34422, a 70.8% lead. This is the largest delta in the entire comparison and shows a massive advantage in FP-heavy workloads.

Cinebench R15 multicore is the second-largest margin at 61.3%. The i5-13400 scores 2358, the i5-11500 scores 1462. This test is a strong indicator of all-core rendering performance, and the 10-core chip simply overwhelms the 6-core chip.

PassMark physics is 51.2% ahead for the i5-13400, scoring 1244 versus 823. Data encryption is 49.9% ahead, 15880 against 10592. Prime number finding is 45.1% ahead, 74 versus 51. Data compression is 43% ahead, 301481 versus 210796.

Cinebench R20 multicore is 39.9% ahead for the i5-13400, 8526 against 6095. Cinebench R20 single core is also 39.9% ahead, 1203 versus 860. PassMark multithread is 38.7% ahead, 23719 versus 17107.

The i5-13400 wins PassMark integer math by 33.2%, 77721 versus 58352. Extended instructions are 26.8% ahead, 19161 versus 15111. Random string sorting is 25.9% ahead, 30851 versus 24505.

The single-thread tests are closer. Cinebench R15 single core goes to the i5-13400 by 24.8%, 257 versus 206. PassMark single thread is 13% ahead for the i5-13400, 3538 versus 3131.

The sole win for the i5-11500 is Cinebench R23 single core with a 12.8% advantage. It scores 2049 against 1786. This is a genuine outlier: the same CPU loses R15 single core and R20 single core, but wins the R23 variant. It is the only data point that suggests any scenario where the older chip has an edge.

The average benchmark score in the database is 24280 for the i5-13400 and 23718 for the i5-11500. Both CPUs sit at the 76th percentile among all recorded CPUs. The i5-13400's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1360P at 24344 (-0.3%), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H at 24364 (-0.3%), AMD Ryzen 5 7540U at 24188 (+0.4%), and AMD EPYC 9654P at 24465 (-0.8%). The i5-11500's nearest rivals include AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8540U at 23709 (0%), Intel Xeon 6333P at 23823 (-0.4%), Intel Core 3 100HL at 23545 (+0.7%), and AMD Ryzen 7 8840U at 23982 (-1.1%).

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i5-13400 wins 16 of 17 head-to-head tests, and its victories are often by enormous margins. Multi-threaded workloads show a 38.7% to 61.3% advantage depending on the test. Floating point math is 70.8% faster. Physics simulation is 51.2% faster. Data encryption is 49.9% faster. If your workload is multi-threaded, the i5-13400 is the only rational choice.

For single-threaded work, the i5-13400 still wins most tests. PassMark single thread is 13% ahead, Cinebench R15 single core is 24.8% ahead, and Cinebench R20 single core is 39.9% ahead. The single exception is Cinebench R23 single core, where the i5-11500 is 12.8% faster. That is a narrow, benchmark-specific result. If your application is tuned to the exact behavior captured by that test, the older chip has a niche argument. In every other measured scenario, the i5-13400 is faster.

Platform considerations reinforce the choice. The i5-13400 supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the i5-11500 is DDR4-only. The i5-13400 offers PCIe Gen 5, the i5-11500 is limited to Gen 4. The i5-13400 has more L2 and L3 cache, a smaller die on a newer process, and is still in active production. The i5-11500 is end-of-life.

The launch MSRP of the i5-13400 is $221, and the i5-11500 launched at $192. That price gap is the only thing that could justify the older chip, and even then, the performance difference is so large in the i5-13400's favor that the newer chip is the sensible pick for a new build. Socket incompatibility means you must choose a motherboard platform anyway, and the i5-13400's platform is the one with forward-looking features.

The i5-11500 is a capable processor. Its average benchmark score of 23718 places it at the 76th percentile, the same percentile as the i5-13400. But the i5-13400 achieves that percentile with a higher average score of 24280 and wins nearly every direct comparison. For a new desktop build, the i5-13400 is the recommended choice. The i5-11500 only makes sense if you are already on Socket 1200 and want a drop-in upgrade, or if a specific application depends on its Cinebench R23 single-core result.