Core i9-12900K vs Core i5-13400

CPU Head-to-Head · FPS & Value Comparison

Core i9-12900K vs Core i5-13400: Gaming Performance Comparison in 1080p Ultra

In gaming, the Core i9-12900K delivers approximately +12% higher frame rates compared to the Core i5-13400 in 1080p Ultra. For budget-conscious buyers, the Core i5-13400 currently offers +65.0% better value, available at a $153 price difference.

Core i9-12900K Advantages

Up to 12% faster in gaming benchmarks on average – 172 vs 153 FPS

More processing cores – 16 vs 10 cores

Core i5-13400 Advantages

Up to 65.0% better value for money – $1.17 vs $1.93/FPS

Costs only 54% of the price – $179 vs $332 (46% cheaper)

Is newer – 2023-01-03 vs 2021-11-04

Consumes up to 48% less energy – 65W vs 125W

Performance Analytics

Average FPS across 21 games · all benchmarks use the same test suite

1080p Low

Full HD — min settings

AVG FPS
Core i9-12900K
172fps(100%)
Core i5-13400
153fps(89%)
WinnerCore i9-12900K
+12% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (Core i5-13400 FPS ÷ Core i9-12900K FPS) × 100
Example: (153 ÷ 172) × 100 = 89%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((Core i9-12900K FPS - Core i5-13400 FPS) ÷ Core i5-13400 FPS) × 100
Example: ((172 - 153) ÷ 153) × 100 = 12%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If Core i5-13400 is only 89% as fast, then Core i9-12900K should be 11% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "12% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (89% of and 12% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

Efficiency Coefficient 1080p Ultra (Higher = Better Value)

Performance delivered per currency unit: FPS/$

Core i9-12900K
0.518 Value61% Efficiency
Core i5-13400
0.855 Value100% Efficiency