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The Intel Core i5 was once overlooked by a lot of gamers, computer builders, and enthusiasts. It wasn’t necessarily horrible, but for many years it was a touch boring. We have been (im)patiently awaiting the Core i5-12600 replacement K’s since that changed with the Core i5-12600K. And that replacement, the Intel Core i5-13600K, is now available.

Even though it is unlocked, it is still a mid-tier CPU in Intel’s portfolio. Additionally, it continues to use the same Intel 7 processor as the 12th Gen. It couldn’t really be that good, can it?

The Core i5 from the 12th generation offers a major upgrade over its predecessors, much like every other model in Intel’s lineup. The Intel Core i5 13600K is therefore only more, even though it still uses the same manufacturing process and has a same hybrid design with performance cores (P-cores) and efficiency cores (E-cores). All 13th generation chips have twice as many E-cores as those from the previous generation. All of them offer enhanced performance at both maximum load and reduced power demands. And like the Core i9-13900K, the Core i5-13600K delivers in spades.

This is the finest CPU to purchase if you’re a PC gamer and are currently building a new computer. Without a doubt.

Intel Core i5 13600K Specifications

The 13th Gen Core “Raptor Lake” family, including the Intel Core i5 13600K, features generational advancements in CPU core count. The chip has six P-cores (performance cores) and eight E-cores (E-cores). While it may seem insignificant given that only the E-core count has increased, Intel also replaced the P-cores with the new “Raptor Cove” ones that come with higher IPC, larger caches, and faster clock speeds. This 6P+8E arrangement is superior than the 6P+4E configuration of the i5-12600K “Alder Lake” generation.

A swarm of physically smaller E-cores handles most light to moderate workloads, and in a crunch situation (all cores loaded); b the silicon only has six or eight P-cores, which Intel wagers are sufficient for taking on compute-intensive less parallelized tasks; and c the 13th Gen Core “Raptor Lake” helps Intel shore up CPU core-counts and chase down AMD’s lead in that area. Intel is smart about it. As a result, AMD’s advantage in terms of gaming performance can be overcome by P-cores with high clock rates, while its advantage in terms of multi-threaded creation workloads can be eliminated by E-cores operating in tandem with P-cores.

Intel is introducing new “Raptor Cove” P-cores with “Raptor Lake” that have higher IPC (single-threaded performance at a given clock speed), the ability to sustain higher clock-speeds generationally, and higher amounts of dedicated L2 cache—increased to 2 MB compared to 1.25 MB on the “Golden Cove” cores of “Alder Lake.” The E-core counts, clock rates, and L2 cache sizes have all increased generationally even while the “Gracemont” E-cores remain the same. As opposed to “Alder Lake,” each “Gracemont” 4-core cluster now shares 4 MB of L2 caches among the cores. Eight E-cores and two of these clusters are present in the Core i5-13600K. Additionally, the shared L3 cache size has grown to 24 MB from 20 MB on the i5-12600K.

Even though they are accompanied by motherboards from the 700-series chipset family with enhanced power architecture and downstream PCIe connectivity, the 13th Gen Core “Raptor Lake” processors are compatible with existing Intel 600-series chipset motherboards via BIOS updates. They are built on the same Socket LGA1700 package as the 12th Gen. With one PCI-Express 4.0 x4 NVMe slot connected to the CPU, DMI 4.0 x8 chipset-bus, and PCI-Express 5.0 x16 PEG, the new processors support the same I/O as the 12th Gen. The processors support DDR4 and DDR5 memory formats, giving customers more options.

Intel Core i5 13600K Essential Information

Product Collection	13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processors
Code Name	Products formerly Raptor Lake
Vertical Segment	Desktop
Processor Number	i5-13600K
Status	Launched
Launch Date	Q4’22
Lithography	Intel 7
Recommended Customer Price	$319.00 – $329.00
Use Conditions	PC/Client/Tablet

Intel Core i5 13600K Specs

Total Cores	14
# of Performance-cores	6
# of Efficient-cores	8
Total Threads	20
Max Turbo Frequency	5.10 GHz
Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency	5.10 GHz
Efficient-core Max Turbo Frequency	3.90 GHz
Performance-core Base Frequency	3.50 GHz
Efficient-core Base Frequency	2.60 GHz
Cache	24 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Total L2 Cache	20 MB
Processor Base Power	125 W
Maximum Turbo Power	181 W

Intel Core i5 13600K Benchmarks & Tests

The Intel Core i5 13600K is used in the tests, which are run on a Maximus ROG Z790 Hero motherboard with 32GB (2x16GB) of G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo EXPO CL30 RAM operating at DDR5-5600 standard specifications (CL30). The supporting cast includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 FE graphics card, a Seagate FireCuda 530 2TB SSD, and Noctua NH-D15 cooling, which are likewise shared by all processors. Be quiet! batteries power the group. PSU Dark Power 13, 1000W. The evaluation chip is operated at maximum power settings of 181W, as required by Intel.

The Core i5-13600K easily surpasses the Core i7-12700K in the majority of CPU tests. With a total of 12 cores, the Core i7-12700K debuted on the market last year for $409 and has almost as many (eight P-cores, four E-cores). With two less P-cores, twice as many E-cores, and 8MB more L2 cache, the Core i5-13600K is $80 less expensive.

With this knowledge, it was plausible that these CPUs would alternate positions based on the test, however the Intel Core i5 13600K outperforms them all. In certain tests, it doesn’t win by a large margin, but it does succeed. In contrast, the Core i5-12600K was left in the dust, and in several tests, the Core i5-13600K even manages to outperform the 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X. (However, as you might anticipate, the Core i5 fell far short of the 16-core/32-thread Ryzen 9 7950X in the majority of tests.)

The Intel Core i5 13600K is more evenly matched by AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X, although Intel still holds some significant advantages. In seven of the eight tests, the Core i5-13600K triumphs over the Ryzen 7 7700X, but sometimes by very small margins. The only test in which the Ryzen 7 7700X narrowly prevails over the Core i5-13600K is Adobe Photoshop. It becomes challenging to defend the Ryzen 7 7700X when you consider that it costs $170 more than the Core i5-13600K.

With the exception of the Core i5-13600K and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, it is difficult to make a compelling case for any of the processors in the aforementioned list when it comes to gaming. The Core i5 competes favorably with the finest of them while costing less than the majority of its rivals. Although the Ryzen 7 5700X starts at $299 and its immediate predecessor is available for $40 cheaper, both similarly suffer from a significant performance hit. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X performs somewhat worse in most games but is also more affordable, making it a good choice for those on a tighter budget if the AMD AM4 architecture (and possibly reusing some DDR4 RAM) is the best choice for them.

Intel Core i5 13600K Conclusion

Let’s get to the point without delay. The $319 Intel Core i5 13600K is an excellent CPU that defies its mid-range label to deliver outstanding performance in both apps and games.

By improving upon the previous generation and gaining weight in all the right places, Intel excels in the areas that matter the most. The cherry on top is that Intel softens the blow to adoption by enabling compatibility with affordable B660 motherboards and widespread DDR4 memory. Rival AMD’s emerging Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X are challenged in nearly every situation.

The mid-range champion, which aims for perfection in everything it does, supersedes most 12th Gen chips. Anyone who has invested in a Core i9-12900KS will be left wondering how an i5 is able to outperform their precious CPU in gaming while grinning ruefully.

Intel’s Core i5-13600K is a true jewel, behaving like the finest Cores of 2021 and giving price-comparable Ryzens a bloody nose. the person to choose.