Intel Core i7-13700E vs Intel Core i9-9990XE Comparison

The Intel Core i9-9990XE and Intel Core i7-13700E represent two very different eras of Intel desktop engineering. The former is a 14-core Skylake-X extreme edition from late 2018, built for the 2066 platform with a 255 W power envelope. The latter is a 16-core Raptor Lake part from early 2023, running on the 1700 socket with a 65 W TDP. The benchmark data in the database shows a consistent outcome across every recorded test, but the reasons behind that outcome are rooted in architecture, memory configuration, and process technology. This analysis explores what the recorded scores mean, how the two processors differ at a structural level, and which user should consider each part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records six direct comparison tests, all from the Cinebench suite, and the Intel Core i7-13700E wins every single one of them. The margin is remarkably uniform. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-13700E scores 2816 against the i9-9990XE's 2584, a difference of 8.2%. The single-core test in R15 shows 397 versus 364, a gap of 8.3%. That pattern repeats in Cinebench R20, where the multicore result is 11735 for the i7-13700E and 10767 for the i9-9990XE, again 8.2% apart, while the single-core scores are 1656 and 1519, an 8.3% difference. Cinebench R23 follows the same script: 27941 versus 25637 in multicore, 3944 versus 3619 in single-core. The deltas are 8.2% and 8.2% respectively.

The consistency of that margin is striking. Most generational comparisons show larger swings between single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, but here the i7-13700E holds a near-identical advantage in both. That suggests the newer processor is not just benefiting from extra cores or a higher boost clock alone; it is fundamentally more efficient at executing instructions per clock. The i9-9990XE does have a higher base clock at 4.00 GHz versus the i7-13700E's 1900.00 MHz, but both parts share the same 5.10 GHz boost clock. The fact that the i7-13700E still wins single-core tests by the same margin indicates its per-core throughput is significantly higher.

Looking at the broader database context, the i9-9990XE sits at the 63rd percentile of all CPUs, while the i7-13700E sits at the 64th percentile. Their average benchmark scores are 7415 and 7957 respectively. The nearest rivals for the i9-9990XE include the Intel Core i5-4570 with an average score of 7421 and a delta of -0.1%, the AMD EPYC 7282 at 7409 with a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core i9-9980XE at 7398 with a delta of 0.2%. The i7-13700E's nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 7551P at 7952 with a delta of 0.1%, the Intel Core i9-10980XE at 7910 with a delta of 0.6%, the Intel Xeon Gold 6326 at 8071 with a delta of -1.4%, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8180M at 8110 with a delta of -1.9%. These rival positions show that the i7-13700E is competing with much larger server-class parts, while the i9-9990XE is surrounded by older desktop and entry server chips.

The Geekbench results are only recorded for the i7-13700E, showing a multicore score of 12728 and a single-core score of 2437. No comparable Geekbench data exists for the i9-9990XE in the database, so a direct comparison in that suite is not possible. Still, the Cinebench sweep is decisive: six tests, six wins for the i7-13700E, with every margin between 8.2% and 8.3%. The i9-9990XE does not win a single recorded benchmark.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from entirely different design lineages. The i9-9990XE is based on the Skylake architecture, specifically the Skylake-X variant, and belongs to the Core i9 Extreme X-Series 9th Gen family. It is built on Intel's 14 nm process. The i7-13700E is a Raptor Lake part, belonging to the Core 13th Gen family, with the Raptor Lake-S codename, fabricated on a 10 nm process. The process node difference alone explains much of the efficiency gap, even though the exact transistor counts are not recorded for either chip.

The core configurations diverge in an interesting way. The i9-9990XE has 14 cores and 28 threads, which means every core supports two threads. The i7-13700E has 16 cores but only 24 threads, indicating a hybrid arrangement where some cores lack hyper-threading. Raptor Lake uses a mix of performance and efficiency cores, and that hybrid design allows the i7-13700E to offer more total cores while keeping the thread count lower. The i9-9990XE's thread count is higher relative to its core count, but the architecture is older and less efficient per thread.

Cache hierarchies also differ substantially. The i9-9990XE has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 19.25 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-13700E has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The newer chip has more cache at every level, which helps feed its wider, more efficient execution engines. L3 capacity is particularly important in multi-threaded workloads, and the 30 MB shared pool gives the i7-13700E an advantage that shows up in the Cinebench multicore results.

Memory support is another major divergence. The i9-9990XE supports DDR4 memory over a quad-channel bus, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s. The i7-13700E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, but uses a dual-channel bus, and no memory bandwidth figure is recorded for it. The quad-channel configuration of the i9-9990XE gives it a theoretical bandwidth advantage, yet it still loses the multi-threaded benchmarks. That outcome implies the i7-13700E's superior core efficiency and cache hierarchy outweigh the i9-9990XE's wider memory bus. The i7-13700E also supports ECC memory, while the i9-9990XE does not.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. The i9-9990XE provides PCIe Gen 3 with 44 lanes from the CPU, while the i7-13700E provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The older part offers more physical lanes, but the newer part has a much faster interface. For most desktop workloads, the 16 Gen 5 lanes are sufficient, and the bandwidth per lane is far higher.

The i9-9990XE has no integrated graphics, while the i7-13700E includes UHD Graphics 770. That is a meaningful feature difference for systems that do not use a discrete GPU. The i9-9990XE also requires a dedicated graphics card for any display output, while the i7-13700E can run a basic display setup on its own.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks in the database?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700E wins all six recorded head-to-head tests. Its margins over the Intel Core i9-9990XE range from 8.2% to 8.3% across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multicore runs.

Q: Do the two CPUs share the same boost clock?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i9-9990XE and the Intel Core i7-13700E have a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Their base clocks differ, with the i9-9990XE at 4.00 GHz and the i7-13700E at 1900.00 MHz.

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare?

A: The Intel Core i9-9990XE has 14 cores and 28 threads. The Intel Core i7-13700E has 16 cores and 24 threads. The i9-9990XE has more threads, but the i7-13700E has more cores.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700E has 30 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core i9-9990XE has 19.25 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-13700E also has more L1 and L2 cache per core.

Q: Does either processor support ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700E supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i9-9990XE does not support ECC memory.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Core i9-9990XE is end-of-life, while the Intel Core i7-13700E is active. The i9-9990XE was released on 2018-10-18, and the i7-13700E was released on 2023-01-03.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category in the database. The i9-9990XE has 14 cores and 28 threads, while the i7-13700E has 16 cores and 24 threads. Base clock speeds are 4.00 GHz for the i9-9990XE and 1900.00 MHz for the i7-13700E. Both share a 5.10 GHz boost clock. The TDP figures are very different: 255 W for the i9-9990XE versus 65 W for the i7-13700E. That means the i7-13700E delivers better benchmark results while drawing far less power, a clear sign of architectural efficiency gains.

The sockets are incompatible. The i9-9990XE uses Intel Socket 2066, while the i7-13700E uses Intel Socket 1700. The architecture and codename differ, with Skylake-X versus Raptor Lake-S, and the process nodes are 14 nm versus 10 nm. The die size is only recorded for the i7-13700E at 257 mm²; no die size is listed for the i9-9990XE.

Cache configurations differ at every level. The i9-9990XE has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 19.25 MB of shared L3. The i7-13700E has 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR4 for the i9-9990XE and both DDR4 and DDR5 for the i7-13700E. The memory bus is quad-channel for the i9-9990XE and dual-channel for the i7-13700E. Memory bandwidth is recorded only for the i9-9990XE at 85.3 GB/s.

ECC support is absent on the i9-9990XE and present on the i7-13700E. PCIe generation and lane counts differ, with Gen 3 and 44 lanes on the i9-9990XE versus Gen 5 and 16 lanes on the i7-13700E. Integrated graphics are absent on the i9-9990XE and present as UHD Graphics 770 on the i7-13700E. The production status is end-of-life for the i9-9990XE and active for the i7-13700E. The i9-9990XE has a recorded launch MSRP of $2800, while no launch MSRP is recorded for the i7-13700E. Both processors have an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-13700E wins every recorded benchmark, so any workload represented by Cinebench R15, R20, or R23 favors the newer chip. That includes both single-threaded and multi-threaded rendering tasks. The i7-13700E's advantage in single-core tests, with scores like 3944 in R23 versus 3619 for the i9-9990XE, makes it the stronger choice for lightly threaded applications that depend on per-core performance. Its multicore wins, such as 27941 versus 25637 in R23, also make it the better option for fully threaded workloads like video encoding or 3D rendering.

The i9-9990XE does have some structural advantages that are not reflected in the Cinebench results. Its quad-channel memory bus provides a recorded bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s, which could benefit memory-intensive workloads that are not captured in the benchmark suite. Its 44 PCIe Gen 3 lanes offer more physical expansion capability, which matters for systems with many add-in cards. The i9-9990XE also has 28 threads, four more than the i7-13700E, which could help in specific highly parallel workloads that scale with thread count rather than core efficiency.

However, the database records no benchmark where the i9-9990XE comes out ahead. The wins column shows 0 for the i9-9990XE and 6 for the i7-13700E. The i7-13700E also sits at a higher percentile, 64 versus 63, and has a higher average benchmark score, 7957 versus 7415. Its nearest rivals include server-class parts like the Intel Xeon Gold 6326 and Intel Xeon Platinum 8180M, which are within 1.4% and 1.9% respectively. The i9-9990XE, by contrast, trades blows with much older parts like the Intel Core i5-4570 and Intel Core i5-7400.

For users who need ECC memory support, the i7-13700E is the only option between the two. For users who need integrated graphics, again the i7-13700E is the only choice. For users who need DDR5 memory support, the i7-13700E supports it, while the i9-9990XE is limited to DDR4. The i9-9990XE's remaining appeal lies in its quad-channel memory bandwidth and its higher lane count for PCIe expansion, though those advantages do not translate into any recorded benchmark victory.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i7-13700E outperforms the Intel Core i9-9990XE in every recorded benchmark, with consistent margins around 8.2% to 8.3%. It achieves this while using a 65 W TDP compared to the i9-9990XE's 255 W, and while supporting modern features like DDR5, ECC memory, and integrated graphics. The i7-13700E is also an active product, while the i9-9990XE is end-of-life.

The i9-9990XE is not without merit. Its quad-channel memory bus with 85.3 GB/s of bandwidth and 44 PCIe Gen 3 lanes are genuinely useful for certain workstation configurations. Its 28 threads exceed the i7-13700E's 24 threads, and its 4.00 GHz base clock is much higher than the i7-13700E's 1900.00 MHz. But the recorded Cinebench results show that none of those advantages produce a win. The i7-13700E's newer architecture, larger cache hierarchy, and higher per-core efficiency dominate across the board.

For most users, the i7-13700E is the clear choice. It offers better performance, lower power consumption, newer memory support, ECC capability, and integrated graphics. It is the only one of the two that is still active in production. The i9-9990XE would only make sense for a very specific use case that requires quad-channel memory bandwidth or a large number of PCIe lanes, and even then, the benchmark data shows it cannot match the i7-13700E in the tested workloads. The verdict from the database is straightforward: pick the i7-13700E unless the i9-9990XE's platform-specific features are an absolute requirement.