The 13th generation from Intel codenamed “Raptor Lake” will come with more cores, connectivity, revamped core architecture, support for PCIe 5.0 SSD, and even the officially claimed boost clock of up to 5.8 GHz. However, of course the user must have a capable cooler to tame this processor.
In an event titled “Intel Innovation”, Intel officially launched the 13th Generation Intel desktop processors on September 27, 2022. At the same time, Intel came when AMD had launched the Ryzen 7000 processor for desktop devices.
In his presentation, Intel said that the 13th Generation Core has a clock speed of up to 8 GHz if it is overclocked. Although this figure has not yet reached a record, where currently the highest record in HWBot is held by AMD processors with figures reaching 8.7 GHz.
This chip is officially present on October 20, 2022 and will compete with the AMD Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 processor. The fierce competition stage will enter a new stage between Intel vs AMD.
The lineup of 13th Generation Intel Core processors codenamed “Raptor Lake” will be embedded in high-end desktop models to provide the best experience for gaming, streaming and video recording. It offers up to 15% better single-threaded performance, and up to 41% better multi-threaded performance compared to the previous generation, namely the 12th generation. These ranks include:
- Intel Core i9-13900K
- Intel Core i9-13900KF
- Intel Core i7-13700K
- Intel Core i7-13700KF
- Intel Core i5-13600K
- Intel Core i5-13600KF
Intel’s 13th Gen Raptor Lake: Overview
There are plenty of specs, details, and performance metrics for you to look at. If you’re looking for something shorter, this is what you’re looking for.
- Up to 24 cores and 32 threads.
- Intel Thread Director optimizes workloads by helping the OS distribute load to optimal cores.
- Support DDR4-3200 and DDR5-5600 Dual-Channel memory, PCIe 4.0 (up to 4 lanes) and PCIe 5.0 (up to 16 lanes), Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 interfaces.
- Support for PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD and M.2 AI Module.
- +15% single-threaded performance, +41% multi-threaded performance.
- XMP 3.0 support.
- LGA 1700 socket, mobile chip compatible with BGA.
- Integrated graphics capable of running 8K60 HDR video and four 4K60 displays simultaneously.
- 700 Series Chipsets: Z790, H770, B760 Motherboards.
- Chipset: Up to 20 PCIe 4.0 PCHs and eight PCIe 3.0
For more details, here are the specifications for the six 13th Generation Intel Core CPUs announced by Intel at the Intel Innovation event.
Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake: Specs and Pricing
All CPUs codenamed “Raptor Lake” are designed using the 10nm Intel 7 fabrication process, as well as Intel’s latest hybrid architecture that relies on a combination of Performance Cores (P-Cores) and Efficiency Cores (E-Cores).
Hierarchically, Intel ranks the Intel Core i9-13900K as the top model of this 13th generation CPU lineup. The processor is equipped with a number of cores reaching 24 cores (8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores) with 32 threads, and a total cache (L2+L3) reaching 68 MB.
Both the Intel Core i9-13900K CPU and the other five in the lineup, all support DDR-4800 and DDR-5600 memory (RAM), and have a power consumption of 125W.
CPUs with “K” and “KF” frills actually have similar specifications. However, the CPU with the KF model is not equipped with an integrated GPU Intel UHD Graphics 770.
Intel said that in the future the 13th Generation Intel family will consist of 22 CPU models. Currently they are only introducing six CPU models, and will announce the rest in the future.
Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake: Benchmark
Third-party testing is always much more informative and original, but for now we’ll be using our own benchmark of 13th Generation CPUs with data provided by Intel itself.
Let’s start with the controversial chart.
Intel claims the Core i9-13900K is 5% faster than the 12900K in over 32 games tested, and up to 25% faster in some. Not a huge improvement, but probably enough to beat AMD.
Additionally, we also tested with AMD’s recently released Ryzen 9 7950X which is roughly 5% faster at gaming than the Intel Core i9-12900K. Considering Intel also claims to be 5% faster than the 12900K. Surely the competition between chips is very tight we will see.
At first glance, the Intel Core i9-13900K seems to crush the competition with AMD by beating the 58% better performance in Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered.
Supposedly the Intel Core i9-13900K delivers a much better 99th percentile framerate compared to previous AMD flagships. In The Riftbreaker game, the i9 has even 107% better 99th percentile framerate.
The performance of the Intel Core i9-13900K seems much better than its predecessor and AMD flagship CPUs when used for content creator purposes such as photo and video editing, 2D and 3D modeling. On Autodesk Revit, the Intel Core i9-13900K is 69% superior to AMD.
Intel also claims that the Intel Core i9-13900K is very powerful for multitasking. A sizable improvement compared to its predecessor CPU.
Frequently Asked Questions about 13th Gen Intel processors
What socket will the 13th Gen Intel use?
The 13th Generation Raptor Lake will use the same LGA1700 CPU socket used by the 12th Generation Alder Lake chips. Also, 13th Generation supports Z690 as well as Z790, you can keep your existing motherboard.
Will 12th Generation CPU coolers work with 13th Generation CPUs?
Yes, the CPU cooler you may have just purchased for an Alder Lake-based PC build will also work with next-gen Intel chips. This is because the 13th Generation Raptor Lake processors also use the same LGA1700 socket.
Does Raptor Lake support DDR4 memory modules?
Yes, DDR4 3200 is supported.
Are there any 13th Generation laptops?
Yes, there will be. Although initially we only have full details of the desktop version. Intel has confirmed that laptop chips are on their way and follow the familiar U, P, H, HX naming scheme.
Conclusion
More cores, more performance and most importantly a better performance-to-power ratio. Moreover, this is not the same change as the 12th Generation from the 11th Generation. So you can keep some of your hardware.
