Intel’s 13th Gen ‘Raptor Lake’ CPU i9-13900K is Incredible and Worth Every Penny
Intel’s new 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900K and Core i5-13600K desktop processors have arrived and needless to say, this is fantastic news, specifically for gamers. With so many graphically demanding PC games out in the wild, folks who take their PC gaming seriously will need to upgrade their hardware. You can settle for less, but If you’re looking for the best processor on the planet, look no further. Intel’s 13th Gen ‘Raptor Lake’ CPU i9-13900K is an absolute monster featuring blistering speeds and performance that is second to none. Sure, it’s not exactly cheap but if you want the best, the extra few bucks are well worth it. Without further delay, here are some things I absolutely love about Intel’s i9-13900K:
1. Super Specs
On paper, it’s got some impressive specifications, some of which I’ll get into further below. At a glance, this bad boy packs a punch. The Raptor Lake CPU i9-13900K features up to 24-cores and 32-threads. The P-cores, E-cores, graphics, and memory can be overclocked on Z690 and Z790 chipsets. It features XMP 3.0 support and Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E. It has integrated graphics which is capable of driving 8K60 HDR video and four simultaneous 4K60 displays. It has a 5.8GHz clock speed on the P-cores. And features DDR4 3200 and DDR5 5600 support. This not only rivals AMD’s newest offerings, it beats them. And I’m not the only one saying that.
2. Good Bang for The Buck
Granted, it’s still a lot of money for one PC part, albeit a rather significant one. Yet at around $589 USD, the Raptor Lake is appropriately priced and on par with the competition. In fact, it’s a bit cheaper than other high-end processors. Granted, one quick Google search reveals that prices seem a little all over the map. I have seen the processor priced well over $800 in Canada. With Black Friday right around the corner, you may be able to find one cheaper than $589. Regardless, I don’t have an issue with the price at all given what is under the hood. I don’t think you’ll regret the purchase, at all.
3. Performance Personified
There is no doubt Intel hyped up the performance claims. They made some lofty promises but the fact remains the Core i9-13900K’s performance is second to none. It goes without saying, it is amazing for gaming. Games run seamlessly on max settings. But it’s more than just a processor for gaming as working, streaming, and creating videos are also accomplished with ease. The added power is noticeable. Bottom line, content creators should seriously give this some consideration. It makes their life that much easier. Its multi-core performance will most certainly impress you.
4. Pretty Games
Okay, I get it. I can just as easily mention this in the performance section. Yet, I could not help but be blown away by how good games look on the Core i9-13900K. Even on the highest presets, I experienced no noticeable slowdowns or downgraded visuals in any way. The frame rates were silky smooth. Games like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5, look incredible. Forza Horizon 5 looks especially stunning featuring some of the best lighting and weather effects I’ve ever seen on a PC. It’s a demanding game but with Intel’s latest processor, you don’t need to worry at all if your PC can handle the system requirements.
5. Best With Windows 11
One of the things I love about the 13th Gen Core processor is how it takes advantage of some of those critical features in Windows 11. It’s all about performance and I cannot reinforce enough that you’ll want to ensure you use Windows 11 with this processor. Why? So you can take advantage of the latest enhancements to Intel Thread Director. This processor pairs P-cores with efficient E-cores resulting in a seamless and smooth gaming experience.
6. Captain Compatibility
Many may be reluctant to take the plunge for fear that Intel’s 13th Gen chip won’t work on current motherboards. This isn’t the case, mostly. In fact, they work on existing motherboards that support 12th Gen processors. This is good news for those who have compatible motherboards but it’s also good news for those who will need to purchase a new one as there are plenty of affordable options to choose from. This also means that existing coolers will likely be sufficient. Granted, if you want to take advantage of the eight additional PCIe 4.0 lanes and increased USB 3.2 Gen 2X2 (20Gbps) ports, you will want to buy the latest Z790 motherboard.
7. Some Like it Hot
There is no doubt it runs hot at maximum load; however, its average power consumption is low. I understand that power consumption measurements will differ per PC and setup, but for me, I felt the power efficiency was quite good.
8. Long Term Investment
There is no doubt, it is future-proof. Being able to play current and next-gen games shouldn’t be an issue with the CPU i9-13900K. Upgrade that motherboard and a new DDR5 RAM and your PC will last you for years.
Have you picked up Intel’s 13th Gen ‘Raptor Lake’ CPU i9-13900K yet? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.