Ryzen 7 7700X vs Core i5-13600K

The Ryzen 7 7700X and the Core i5-13600K perform about the same in games, within 4% in our estimates. Below: FPS in popular games, the specs side by side, and the graphics cards that suit each.

Updated · By Muhammad Muzammil

The short answer

In a typical one of 8 popular games at 1080p High with an RTX 5090, the Ryzen 7 7700X gets about 159 FPS and the Core i5-13600K about 159 FPS. With a slower graphics card, or at 1440p and 4K, the card sets the FPS more often and the gap gets smaller.

The Ryzen 7 7700X uses the AM5 socket and the Core i5-13600K uses LGA1700, so they need different motherboards. The Ryzen 7 7700X takes DDR5 memory and the Core i5-13600K takes DDR4/DDR5. Cores and threads: 8 / 16 on the Ryzen 7 7700X, 14 / 20 on the Core i5-13600K. Neither comes with a cooler, so budget for one.

Ryzen 7 7700X vs Core i5-13600K: FPS in popular games

Estimated FPS at 1080p High with 32 GB RAM (Ryzen 7 7700X / Core i5-13600K in each column). With an RTX 5090, the processor sets the frame rate wherever it can. Values above 500 show as 500+. See FPS for your own PC.

GameRTX 5090RTX 5060
Counter-Strike 2364 / 366305 / 305
Valorant400 / 402400 / 402
Fortnite175 / 175164 / 164
Apex Legends160 / 161160 / 161
Marvel Rivals124 / 12489 / 89
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6159 / 159110 / 110
Cyberpunk 2077128 / 129104 / 104
Baldur's Gate 3130 / 130130 / 130

With a mid-range graphics card such as an RTX 5060, the card sets the frame rate in more games, so the difference between the two processors is smaller.

Estimated FPS. Numbers come from the FPSVibe model, not measured benchmarks. How we estimate

Specs side by side

SpecRyzen 7 7700XCore i5-13600K
Cores / threads8 / 1614 / 20
Boost clockup to 5.4 GHzup to 5.1 GHz
L3 cache32 MB24 MB
SocketAM5LGA1700
MemoryDDR5-5200DDR5-5600 / DDR4-3200
Integrated graphicsRadeon Graphics (2 CU)Intel UHD 770
Cooler in the boxNot includedNot included
Power (TDP)105 W125 W
Launch year20222022
Gaming index (est.)72.873.1

Gaming index: estimated CPU-bound gaming performance at 1080p, Ryzen 7 9800X3D = 100. Memory and box cooler as listed on AMD and Intel product pages; where we couldn't confirm a value there, check the manufacturer's page.

Graphics cards that pair well with the Ryzen 7 7700X

Graphics cards that pair well with the Core i5-13600K

Ryzen 7 7700X vs Core i5-13600K FAQs

Is the Ryzen 7 7700X better than the Core i5-13600K for gaming?

The Ryzen 7 7700X and the Core i5-13600K perform about the same in games, within 4% in our estimates. In a typical one of 8 popular games at 1080p High with an RTX 5090, the Ryzen 7 7700X gets about 159 FPS and the Core i5-13600K about 159 FPS.

Ryzen 7 7700X or Core i5-13600K: which gets more FPS in Counter-Strike 2?

With an RTX 5090 at 1080p High, the Ryzen 7 7700X gets about 364 FPS and the Core i5-13600K about 366 FPS in our estimates.

Do the Ryzen 7 7700X and Core i5-13600K use the same motherboard?

No. The Ryzen 7 7700X uses the AM5 socket and the Core i5-13600K uses LGA1700, so you need a different motherboard to switch. They also take different memory: DDR5 vs DDR4/DDR5.

Do the Ryzen 7 7700X and Core i5-13600K come with a cooler?

No. Neither comes with a cooler in the box, so you need to buy one.

Do the Ryzen 7 7700X and Core i5-13600K have integrated graphics?

Yes. The Ryzen 7 7700X has Radeon Graphics (2 CU) and the Core i5-13600K has Intel UHD 770: enough for a display and light games, not for new games at good settings.

What graphics card should I pair with the Ryzen 7 7700X or the Core i5-13600K?

Balanced picks in our estimates: for the Ryzen 7 7700X, RX 9070, RTX 5070, RX 9070 GRE, RTX 5060 Ti 16GB; for the Core i5-13600K, RX 9070, RTX 5070, RX 9070 GRE, RTX 5060 Ti 16GB.