The Intel Core i5 13600K is another strong midrange chip from Intel, and even this modestly priced Raptor Lake chip can expect a significant increase in core count. Well tuned for high gaming frame rates, this chip is ultimately the first chip most gamers should consider for their next gaming PC.

The basic hybrid architecture found in the Core i5 13600K continues that introduced in Alder Lake and the 12th generation, but Raptor Lake adds a few key improvements; the Core i9 13900K review (opens in new tab opens in a new tab) discusses them in more detail, but the centerpiece of this upgrade is the increase in cores. [The Core i5 13600K is a 14-core processor, consisting of six hyperthreaded performance cores (P-cores) and eight efficient cores (E-cores) for a total of 20 threads. That's four more E-cores than the chip's predecessor, the Core i5 12600K (open in new tab), but don't be fooled by the E-core's small name and silicon footprint: the four additional cores significantly improve multithreading performance.

The chip handily handled Blender's Junk Shop benchmark, at a much faster sample/minute pace than the Core i5 12600K it replaced. The Core i5 13600K is also 37% faster than the Core i5 12600K in the synthetic Cinebench R23 benchmark. But the more surprising statistic is that the Core i5 13600K is only 12% behind the multi-threaded score of the Intel Core i9 12900K (open in new tab).

The Core i5 13600K's single-threaded Cinebench score is actually exactly the same as the Core i9 12900K.

Now, in terms of actual performance, the Core i5 13600K won't rival the Core i9 12900K in every respect, but in gaming it really does offer something similar for less money.

In three of the six games I tested, the Core i5 13600K matched the Core i9 12900K's pace. In one of them, it actually outperformed the Core i9 chip. That's Civ 6, which admittedly makes the game a bit easier for the latest generation of Intel and AMD processors. But it remains a great result for a much less expensive CPU.

Speaking of AMD, the Core i5 13600K is looking increasingly impressive against the competition, with the Core i5 13600K beating the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (open in new tab) in all but one game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, It is also unbeatable on more productive/creative workloads such as Blender and x264; the blend of P-cores and E-cores appears to work well compared to the Zen 4's homogeneous yet powerful core design.

Even when it comes to power efficiency, which is not usually Intel's forte, the Core i5 13600K is a more efficient chip due to its more sensible clock speeds and core count. x264 benchmark power consumption is relatively similar to the Ryzen 7 7700X, and its efficiency makes it The power consumption in the x264 benchmark is relatively similar to the Ryzen 7 7700X and does not get as hot as the competitor's due to its efficiency. Nevertheless, it consumes more power than its predecessor, the Core i5 12600K. However, compared to the Core i9 13900K, it is practically a permanent eco-mode.

The Core i5 13600K fares better by price against the competition and the 12th generation. This is a great price for this performance, but it may or may not happen on launch day. The retail price may be more than that. What we have to consider, however, is that AMD appears to have little support for this chip in its existing Ryzen 7000 series lineup.

To make the Ryzen 7 7700X the chip to buy at this price would require a serious price cut, and if the 7700X can't do it, neither can the Ryzen 5 7600X. That said, the Ryzen 5 7600X is as cheap as $299, and there are no Raptor Lake chips under $300 at the moment, so we are not completely dismissing the cheaper option here.

Intel also has an overall cheaper chip, the Core i5 13600K. Some builders will likely find a way to spend big bucks on a motherboard and RAM rather than take the less expensive 600 series/DDR4 option, but if they are so inclined, Intel's 600 series chipsets and more affordable RAM can be used with AMD's newer and generally more expensive AM5 chipset sets and DDR5 memory at a significant savings compared to.

This price disparity may not last the lifetime of these chips, but it is certainly a factor to consider at launch. Both companies should offer cheaper CPUs and chipsets early next year, which should make life easier for budget builders anyway.

Once again we see the best gaming chips coming from lower-end Raptor Lake models: the Core i5 13600K delivers outstanding gaming performance in a conscientiously priced package, with only a few more frames than processors twice the MSRP. If you're building a gaming PC in 2022-23, this is the chip I'd most recommend.

But I would go one step further. With four more E-cores, this processor becomes a 14-core chip with multi-threaded performance for heavy-duty applications, making the Core i5 13600K a much better all-around powerhouse than I had expected.

Thus, if supply stabilizes and prices stay at the recommended price, this is sure to be the best overall CPU for 2022, and perhaps even well into 2023.