Intel has officially launched its 13th gen “Raptor Lake” desktop CPUs. Perhaps not coincidentally, they were unveiled on the very same day AMD launches its Ryzen 7000 processors. The initial three Raptor Lake models come in two varieties – one with integrated graphics and one without. Suggested pricing starts at $294 for the entry-level Core i5 13600KF CPU and $589 for the flagship Core i9-13900K.
The Core i9-13900K ship first in October 2022, with the other processor models following in its wake. This CPU features 24 cores, 32 threads and a clock speed of 5.8GHz. Though these processors are built on the same Intel 7 process as last-gen Alder Lake chips, the company promises increased performance and efficiency over last gen.
Here’s everything we know about Intel’s 13th gen Raptor Lake processors.
Intel Raptor Lake: Price and availability
Intel’s 13th gen Core processors launch on October 20, 2022. The line will consist of three models: the Core i5-13600, Core i7-13700 and flagship Core i9-13900. K-series models are “unlocked” and have integrated graphics while KF variants lack integrated graphics. Intel says it will eventually release 22 Raptor Lake desktop CPUs.
Pricing remains the same as Alder Lake chips. The only chip receiving a price increase is the $319 Core i5-13600K, which costs $20 more than the Core i5-12600K. The $294 KF variant sees a $30 price bump from its predecessor.
We should note that all of these are Intel’s suggested prices. It’s possible some retailers may charge more for the CPUs.
Intel Raptor Lake: Performance and specs
Raptor Lake chips are built on the Intel 7 process, which is the same process last-gen Alder Lake processors are built on. The new CPUs have both Performance (P-cores) and Efficiency cores (E-cores), which help divide the workload to increase overall performance.
The Core i9-13900K has 24 cores divided into eight P-cores and 16 E-cores, while the Core i5 13600 models have 14 cores (6P and 8E). The number of P-cores remains the same as on Alder Lake but the entire line has more E-cores than last gen – landing at four additional E-cores for the Core i5 and Core i7 chips and eight more E-cores for the Core i9. Intel claims the CPUs deliver up to 15 percent better single-threaded performance and up to 41 percent multi-threaded performance.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Core i9-13900K | Core i9-13900KF | Core i7-13700K | Core i7-13700KF | Core i5-13600K | Core i5-13600KF |
| Price (recommended) | $589 | $564 | $409 | $384 | $319 | $294 |
| Cores/threads | 24 cores / 32 threads | 24 cores / 32 threads | 16 cores / 24 threads | 16 cores / 24 threads | 14 cores / 20 threads | 14 cores / 20 threads |
| P-Core base / boost | 3.0 / 5.8 GHz | 3.0 / 5.8 GHz | 3.4 / 5.4 GHz | 3.4 / 5.4 GHz | 3.5 / 5.1 GHz | 3.5 / 5.1 GHz |
| E-Core base / boost | 2.2 / 4.3 GHz | 2.2 / 4.3 GHz | 2.5 / 4.2 GHz | 2.5 / 4.2 GHz | 2.6 / 3.9 GHz | 2.6 / 3.9 GHz |
| Cache (L2+ L3) | 68MB (32+36) | 68MB (32+36) | 54MB (24+30) | 54MB (24+30) | 44MB (20+24) | 44MB (20+24) |
| TDP (base / turbor) | 125W / 253W | 125W / 253W | 125W / 253W | 125W / 253W | 125W / 181W | 125W / 181W |
Power requirement sees a spike across the entire lineup. Raptor Lake chips all have a base power of 125 watts. However, the Core i7 and Core i9 each require 253 watts for max turbo power. In contrast, the 12th gen Core i9 required 241 watts while the Core i7 required 190 watts.
Raptor Lake supports faster DDR5-5600 and DDR5-2200 memory but will maintain DDR4 compatibility for those not ready to purchase a new motherboard. Intel will launch the Z790, which is the first of the new 700-series of motherboards. Budget-friendly B- and H-series boards are set to arrive alongside the remaining Raptor Lake line. The 13th gen Core chips support 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 and four lanes of PCIe 4.0.
While base frequencies are lower when compared to last-gen, boost frequencies are up. The most notable example is the Core i9 models that can attain up to 5.8GHz, which is 600MHz above the Core 12900K. Similarly, the new Core i7 sees a 400MHz bump while the Core i5 is 200MHz more.
Intel plans to release a Raptor Lake CPU that can hit 6GHz. Unfortunately, it didn’t provide more information at this time.
As far as gaming is concerned, Intel says the Core i9-13900K is on par with the 12900K performance at 65W. The company also claims the new model is up to 37% faster with the same 241W power draw. Intel promises that the 24-core chip can deliver higher frames per second (FPS).
Intel Raptor Lake: Outlook
Raptor Lake processors appear more powerful than Alder Lake, based on what Intel announced. Of course we'll have to wait for independent benchmarks to see how these new CPUs really stack up. But if the company’s claims are true, then the new CPU line could make the best gaming PCs and best computers even better.
What we’re most curious about is how Intel’s new processors fare against AMD’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs. If Team Blue (Intel) and Team Red (AMD) have comparable chips, then it could make for an interesting match-up – not to mention provide different CPU options for users.
