Intel Core i5-14401E vs Intel Core i9-13900TE Comparison

The Intel Core i9-13900TE and Intel Core i5-14401E are both 10 nm Raptor Lake desktop processors on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, yet they are positioned very differently in the lineup. The data shows a clean sweep for the i9-13900TE across every Cinebench test in the head-to-head comparison, but the margins are remarkably slim. While the i9-13900TE wins all six benchmarks, its advantage never exceeds 1.7%, meaning the i5-14401E delivers nearly identical application performance despite having a drastically lower core count. The real split between these two lies not in raw benchmark scores, but in the broader context of their specifications and how those translate to different use-case scenarios.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on benchmark results, the Intel Core i9-13900TE wins every performance test in the comparison. However, interpreting the data requires more nuance than simply declaring a victor. The i9-13900TE’s wins across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core tests are all within a 1.6-1.7% deltaPct. This is a negligible performance gap, meaning that for most real-world applications, the two processors will feel functionally identical. The i9-13900TE is the nominal winner for any workload where a higher score is the sole criterion, such as synthetic benchmarking or rendering tasks that scale heavily with multi-core performance.

The Intel Core i5-14401E wins in a different sense: efficiency of design. It achieves 98.3% of the i9-13900TE’s multi-core score in Cinebench R23 (18161 vs 18472) while packing only 6 cores and 12 threads compared to the i9’s 24 cores and 32 threads. This indicates that the i5-14401E is the superior choice for scenarios where the workload does not fully utilize a large core count, or where the platform benefits from a lower core count without sacrificing single-threaded responsiveness. Its higher 65 W TDP versus the i9-13900TE’s 35 W TDP suggests it is designed to sustain higher clock speeds on fewer cores, making it a better fit for lightly threaded tasks and gaming where frequency matters more than core count. The i9-13900TE, with its massive core count and lower TDP, is better suited for heavily threaded productivity tasks such as video encoding, 3D rendering, and software compilation, where the extra cores can be kept busy and the lower TDP allows for a more thermally constrained system.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900TE is faster in every multi-core benchmark. It scores 18472 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 18161 for the i5-14401E, a 1.7% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the i9-13900TE scores 7758 versus 7627 for the i5-14401E.

Q: Is the i5-14401E competitive in single-core performance?

A: Yes, it is very close. The i5-14401E scores 2564 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the i9-13900TE leads with 2607. The deltaPct is just 1.7%, indicating nearly identical single-threaded capability.

Q: How do the core counts differ between these two CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900TE has 24 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads. This is a fourfold difference in core count, yet the multi-core benchmark scores are within 1.7% of each other.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory types?

A: Yes, both support DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Both also support ECC memory, which is notable for budget workstation or server use cases.

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900TE has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The Intel Core i5-14401E has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The i9-13900TE also has a lower base clock of 1000.00 MHz compared to 2.50 GHz on the i5-14401E.

Q: What is the difference in integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900TE features UHD Graphics 770, while the Intel Core i5-14401E features UHD Graphics 730. Both are integrated solutions, but the i9-13900TE has the higher-tier model.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark suite shows a consistent, narrow lead for the Intel Core i9-13900TE. In Cinebench R15, the i9-13900TE scores 1861 in multi-core and 262 in single-core, against 1830 and 258 for the i5-14401E. The deltaPct is 1.7% for multi-core and 1.6% for single-core, respectively. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i9-13900TE again leads with a multi-core score of 7758 versus 7627, and a single-core score of 1094 versus 1076. Both deltas are 1.7%. The pattern holds in Cinebench R23, the most demanding test, where the i9-13900TE scores 18472 in multi-core and 2607 in single-core, while the i5-14401E trails at 18161 and 2564. The deltaPct is 1.7% in both cases.

The consistency of the 1.7% deltaPct across all three Cinebench versions is striking. It suggests that the performance difference is not workload-dependent but is instead a fixed architectural advantage. Despite having four times the core count, the i9-13900TE only manages a 1.7% lead in multi-core tests. This indicates that the i5-14401E is severely constrained by its 65 W TDP or that its Raptor Lake Refresh architecture is highly efficient. The average benchmark score for the i9-13900TE is 5342, while the i5-14401E averages 5253. The i9-13900TE sits in the 60th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-10900KF with an average score of 5316, a delta of 0.5%. The i5-14401E also sits in the 60th percentile, with its nearest rival being the Intel Xeon E5-2699A v4 at 5259, a delta of -0.1%. This places both processors in the same performance tier, despite the i9-13900TE having a nominally higher average score.

Specification Differences

The most significant specification difference is the core and thread count. The Intel Core i9-13900TE offers 24 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Core i5-14401E offers 6 cores and 12 threads. This is a 4x difference in cores and a 2.67x difference in threads. The base clocks also differ substantially: the i9-13900TE has a base clock of 1000.00 MHz, while the i5-14401E has a base clock of 2.50 GHz. The boost clocks are closer, with the i9-13900TE at 5.00 GHz and the i5-14401E at 4.70 GHz.

The TDP is another key differentiator. The i9-13900TE is rated at 35 W, while the i5-14401E is rated at 65 W. The i9-13900TE achieves its high multi-core scores at a much lower thermal envelope, which is unusual for a 24-core part. Cache configurations also differ. The i9-13900TE has 2 MB of L2 cache per core and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-14401E has 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The integrated graphics differ as well, with the i9-13900TE using UHD Graphics 770 and the i5-14401E using UHD Graphics 730. The die size is also different: the i9-13900TE measures 257 mm², while the i5-14401E measures 215 mm². Release dates show the i9-13900TE launching in January 2023 and the i5-14401E in June 2024.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel’s Raptor Lake architecture, but they belong to different generations. The i9-13900TE is part of the Core 13th Gen series, with the codename Raptor Lake-S. The i5-14401E is part of the Core 14th Gen series, with the codename Raptor Lake-R, indicating a refresh of the same architecture. Both are manufactured on a 10 nm process node at Intel’s foundry.

The core architecture is identical in terms of per-core L1 cache, with both offering 80 KB per core. However, the L2 cache differs: the i9-13900TE has 2 MB per core, while the i5-14401E has 1.25 MB per core. The L3 cache is also different, with the i9-13900TE offering 36 MB shared versus 20 MB shared on the i5-14401E. The higher cache allocation on the i9-13900TE is consistent with its larger core count and higher segment positioning.

The memory support is identical: both support DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration, and both support ECC memory. The PCIe interface is also the same, with Gen 5 support and 16 lanes from the CPU. The i9-13900TE is unlocked for overclocking? The data shows the multiplier is locked on both, so neither can be overclocked via the multiplier. The i9-13900TE has a larger die size at 257 mm² compared to 215 mm² for the i5-14401E, reflecting the additional cores and cache. The production status is active for both, and both use the Intel Socket 1700. The i9-13900TE has a part number of SRMG1, while the i5-14401E has a part number of Q49JSRNJS. The generation field lists the i9-13900TE as Core i9 (Raptor Lake) and the i5-14401E as Core i5 (Raptor Lake Refresh), confirming the refresh nature of the i5-14401E.