Intel Core i5-13400 vs Intel Core i9-11900F Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results show a surprisingly close split between the Intel Core i9-11900F and the Intel Core i5-13400, with the i9 taking 13 wins and the i5 taking 12 wins across the head-to-head suite. The most striking result in the entire comparison is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the i9-11900F delivers a 48.3% advantage over the i5-13400. That is an enormous margin for a single-threaded test, and it highlights the i9's 5.20 GHz boost clock working in its favor.

The i9 also dominates the 3DMark suite. It leads by 9.3% in 16-thread, 8.9% in max-thread, 7.6% in 8-thread, 4.4% in 4-thread, 3.9% in single-thread, and 1.2% in 2-thread tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9 posts 18759 against the i5's 15953, a 17.6% win. The i9 also takes Geekbench single-core by 5.1% (2220 vs 2112), PassMark integer math by 7.7% (83718 vs 77721), PassMark extended instructions by 1.5% (19443 vs 19161), and PassMark random string sorting by 5.4% (32520 vs 30851).

The i5-13400, however, answers back with substantial wins in other areas. The biggest is Geekbench multi-core, where the i5 scores 12289 against the i9's 9417, a 23.4% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5 wins by 19.8% (2358 vs 1890). PassMark physics shows a 23.7% lead for the i5 (1244 vs 949). The i5 also wins PassMark floating point math by 17.4% (58786 vs 48562), PassMark find prime numbers by 17.6% (74 vs 61), PassMark data encryption by 14.1% (15880 vs 13636), and Cinebench R20 multi-core by 7.6% (8526 vs 7878). In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i5 also wins by 7.6% (1203 vs 1112), which is notable because the i9 wins most other single-threaded tests.

The remaining wins for the i5 are smaller but consistent: PassMark multithread by 6.8% (23719 vs 22115), PassMark data compression by 6.8% (301481 vs 280847), and PassMark single-thread by 3.5% (3538 vs 3413). The database's average benchmark scores reflect this overall balance: the i9-11900F averages 23254, while the i5-13400 averages 24280. Both processors land in the 76th percentile of all CPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-11900F is the stronger choice for lightly threaded and gaming-oriented workloads. Its 5.20 GHz boost clock gives it a clear edge in single-threaded tests, as seen in the 48.3% Cinebench R23 single-core lead and the 3.9% 3DMark single-thread win. The i9 also leads across every 3DMark thread count, which suggests it handles the kind of short, bursty workloads common in game physics and frame rendering better than the i5. The 17.6% Cinebench R23 multi-core win also shows the i9 can hold its own in heavily threaded rendering, despite having fewer cores.

The Intel Core i5-13400 wins in productivity and mixed workloads. Its 23.4% Geekbench multi-core advantage and 19.8% Cinebench R15 multi-core lead indicate strong all-core throughput. The i5 also wins PassMark physics by 23.7%, which points to better performance in simulation tasks. For encryption and compression, the i5 leads by 14.1% and 6.8% respectively. Floating point math, prime number finding, and the overall PassMark multithread score all favor the i5. Users running data-heavy tasks, scientific calculations, or file compression would see measurable benefits from the i5.

There are some contradictions worth noting. The i9 wins Cinebench R23 multi-core, but the i5 wins Cinebench R15 and R20 multi-core. The i9 wins Geekbench single-core, but the i5 wins Cinebench R20 single-core and PassMark single-thread. These discrepancies suggest the two chips trade blows depending on the specific instruction mix and optimization of each benchmark, rather than one being uniformly superior.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and use different underlying designs. The Intel Core i9-11900F is built on Rocket Lake, a 14 nm process, and uses the Intel Socket 1200. The Intel Core i5-13400 is based on Raptor Lake, a 10 nm process, and uses the Intel Socket 1700. The die size also differs: the i9 measures 276 mm², while the i5 measures 215 mm².

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The i9 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The i5 has 10 cores and 16 threads. This means the i5 has two additional physical cores but the same thread count, indicating a hybrid arrangement. The cache layout confirms this: the i9 has 512 KB of L2 per core and 16 MB of shared L3, while the i5 has 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 20 MB of shared L3. The i5's larger L2 and L3 caches likely contribute to its wins in multi-threaded benchmarks.

Memory support also differs. The i9 supports only DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The i5 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, though the database does not list a bandwidth figure for the i5. The i9 uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU, while the i5 uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

The i5 has integrated graphics in the form of UHD Graphics 730, while the i9 has no integrated graphics listed. Both processors share a 65 W TDP, a base clock of 2.50 GHz, and locked multipliers. The i9 boosts to 5.20 GHz, while the i5 boosts to 4.60 GHz. The i9 was released in March 2021 and is end-of-life, while the i5 was released in January 2023 and remains active. The i9's launch MSRP was $422. The i5's launch MSRP was $221.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-11900F boosts to 5.20 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-13400 boosts to 4.60 GHz.

Q: How many cores does each processor have?

A: The i9-11900F has 8 cores and 16 threads. The i5-13400 has 10 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor performs better in single-threaded workloads?

A: The i9-11900F leads in most single-threaded tests, including a 48.3% advantage in Cinebench R23 single-core and a 5.1% lead in Geekbench single-core. The i5-13400 wins PassMark single-thread by 3.5% and Cinebench R20 single-core by 7.6%.

Q: Which processor supports DDR5 memory?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The Intel Core i9-11900F supports DDR4 only.

Q: Do these processors have integrated graphics?

A: The i5-13400 includes UHD Graphics 730. The i9-11900F has no integrated graphics listed in the database.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The i5-13400 has 20 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i9-11900F has 16 MB of shared L3 cache.

Specification Differences

| Field | Intel Core i9-11900F | Intel Core i5-13400 |

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

| Cores | 8 | 10 |

| Boost Clock | 5.20 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1200 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Architecture | Rocket Lake | Raptor Lake |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 10 nm |

| Die Size | 276 mm² | 215 mm² |

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

| L3 Cache | 16 MB (shared) | 20 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | Not listed |

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

| Integrated Graphics | None | UHD Graphics 730 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

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

| Launch MSRP | $422 | $221 |

| Part Number | SRKNK | SRMBFSRMBP |

| Average Benchmark Score | 23254 | 24280 |

| Percentile vs All CPUs | 76 | 76 |