Intel Dominates CPU Market in 2023: A Look at Raptor Lake Lineup

Intel's Raptor Lake lineup has taken the market by storm, offering fierce competition to AMD's Ryzen 7000 series. At most price points, Intel's processors soundly beat their counterparts from AMD, even as AMD fights back with its Ryzen 9 7950X3D and 7900X3D processors in an attempt to regain lost ground.

While Intel may not quite have the performance crown for gaming, at least until the 14th generation processors hit the market, the current lineup still offers excellent value and power. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking to build their newest gaming PCs or for creators and professionals in need of the latest and greatest that Intel has to offer.

GameRant has compiled a list of the best processors to consider, and unsurprisingly, most of them are 13th-generation processors that outperform Intel's 12th-generation offerings across the board at different price points.

The Intel Core i9 13900K is the best overall CPU from Intel's 13th generation Raptor Lake flagship processor line-up. It boasts exceptional gaming performance and excels in various benchmark tests. With 24 cores and 32 threads, this processor handles tasks with ease and offers compatibility with PCI-E 4.0/5.0 and 700 series motherboards. It also works with 12th generation motherboards that share the same socket.

Although the i9 13900K processor is a true 24-core powerhouse that outperforms the competition in terms of raw throughput, it requires high thermal requirements to avoid thermal throttling. It is also a pricey upgrade for gaming enthusiasts, although it caters to creators. Nonetheless, it remains the fastest Intel processor for gaming, thanks to its higher single-core clocks that add little value for its high cost.

You can purchase the i9 13900K at Amazon for $580 or at Newegg for $530.

The Intel Core i9 13900K Processor is a top contender for the best overall Intel CPU. Its performance is exceptional and it excels in creator-centric tasks as well as gaming needs. Its single-core performance is unmatched by most, if not all of AMD's offerings within its own price range. However, due to its massive thermal profile, it requires dedicated cooling and most air-cooled coolers are not sufficient. If you plan to get a 13th-generation Intel Core i9 13900K, it is recommended to invest in an excellent AIO solution to keep your processor cool during its most demanding periods.

The Intel Core i3-13100 is a reliable 4-Core, 8-Thread CPU from Intel's latest 13th-generation lineup, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. While it may not offer top-tier multicore performance, due to its quad-core setup consisting solely of Rocket Lake P-Cores, it is still a suitable choice for entry-level gaming with access to newer technologies.

Boasting a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.5 GHz, the Core i3-13100 comes with a 12MB L3 and 5MB L2 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. It also supports PCI-E 4.0 and 5.0, making upgrading the CPU and motherboard a breeze down the line.

The Core i3-13100's excellent single-core performance makes it perfect for gaming on Intel's entry-level Core chip, and it comes with a decent stock cooler, eliminating the need for a separate one. However, with only 4 cores and 8 threads, it may be limited compared to other options on the market. Additionally, the cores cannot be overclocked due to Intel's restrictions, and it is priced somewhat higher than the competition, which has a clear advantage in multicore performance.

Overall, the Intel Core i3-13100 is a solid choice for users looking to upgrade their PC and get a foot in the door for a larger upgrade down the line. Its reliable performance and support for the latest tech make it a worthwhile investment.

See at Amazon $108 at Newegg.

The Intel Core i3 13100 is equipped with 4 performance cores that can reach up to 4.5GHz, providing decent gaming capabilities. However, its multicore performance may be underwhelming for modern applications as it functions as a 4-core 8-thread solution. The processor comes with a bundled heatsink and fan that effectively cools the locked processor. For those who prioritize gaming and rendering needs over integrated graphics, the slightly cheaper 13100F option maximizes value.

The Intel Core i5-13500 Processor offers the best value-for-money among CPUs, making it an ideal choice for budget-oriented gamers. This processor is a step up from the entry-level Core i5-13400 Processor, featuring 4 additional efficiency cores and driving up to 20 threads, surpassing its smaller sibling's 16 threads. Additionally, it boasts a slightly higher clock speed of 4.8GHz compared to 4.6GHz for the Core i5-13400. At a price point of $250, it offers great performance without breaking the bank.

The Intel Core i5-13500 is a powerful processor that competes at a lower price point than its counterparts. It boasts 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock speed of 2.5GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.8GHz. It also comes with a cache of 24MB and a TDP of 154W.

While it does come with the added bonus of Intel® UHD Graphics 770, the processor is locked and cannot be overclocked to higher frequencies, even with cooling upgrades. This may be a downside for those looking to tinker with their motherboard to get more performance out of their processor.

However, the Intel Core i5-13500 offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio compared to other upgrades in Intel's 13th gen, making it a great choice for those on a budget. It's essentially a non-overclockable version of the Intel Core i5 13600K or 13600KF, which already outperforms the last generation 12600K/12600KF.

Additionally, the processor comes with a stock thermal solution, which can serve as a decent solution until you decide to upgrade to something better. It's currently priced at $250 on Amazon and $260 on Newegg.

The Intel Core i5 13600KF Processor is a true powerhouse for gaming enthusiasts. With its unlocked capabilities and exclusion of integrated graphics on the non-F variant, this processor easily outperforms last generation's i7. It is the ideal choice for value-conscious PC builders and gamers who prefer Intel. With 14 cores, 20 threads, a base clock speed of 3.5GHz and a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz, it boasts 24MB cache and a TDP of 181W. While it does not have an iGPU, it still delivers impressive gaming performance on par with the 13700K/KF and 13900K/KF processors. Though it comes with a price tag approaching $300, it offers better value for money than the i7/i9 processors with similar gaming performance. Currently, it is available for purchase at $297 on Amazon and $285 on Newegg.

The Intel Core i5 13600KF Processor is the top choice for the best Intel gaming CPU for 2023 due to its exceptional value and performance. It offers similar capabilities to its higher-priced counterpart, the Intel Core i7 13700K/KF, with only a minor difference in performance. This overclockable processor sacrifices an integrated graphics component to deliver a better price point, making it a practical choice for gamers.

While the i7 13700K and i9 13900K CPUs from Intel are faster than the 13600KF, the latter is still a highly capable processor with overclocking potential that can easily outperform competitors within its price range. Additionally, the i5 13600KF offers outstanding value with only a slight (~5%) performance tradeoff compared to the i7 13700K/KF offerings. Therefore, the Intel Core i5 13600KF Processor is our top pick for the best gaming CPU from Intel for 2023.

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a top-tier CPU that offers excellent value for the price. With proper cooling and overclocking, it can outperform most non-X3D AMD CPUs. Additionally, if you have a 600 series motherboard from your previous CPU, this processor will work with a bios update.

The CPU has 16 cores, including 8 P-cores and 8 E-cores, and 24 processing threads. It also comes with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 770 and a maximum clock speed of 5.2 GHz.

The processor supports PCIe 4.0 and has a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz, with a boost clock speed of 5.4 GHz. It has a cache of 54MB and can support up to 128 GB DDR5 5600 MHz RAM.

While the i7-13700K offers excellent single-core performance and is one of the best Intel CPUs for gaming, it runs hotter than some other Intel 13th gen processors, making it a challenge to cool. Additionally, AMD's 7800X3D beats the 13700K for gaming with more efficiency in terms of thermals and power draw.

Overall, the Intel Core i7-13700K is an excellent choice for those looking for a high-performance CPU at a competitive price point. It is a worthy replacement for the last-gen Intel Core i9 12900K and offers both excellent single and multi-core performance.

Although facing tough competition from AMD's Ryzen processors, the Intel Core i7 13700K still offers impressive multicore performance and decent gaming performance at a more reasonable price point. It may not be the fastest at everything, but it doesn't need to be. In comparison, the Intel Core i9 13900KS may offer minor performance gains for gaming and decent multicore gains, but at an extremely high price that may not suit all PC enthusiasts and system builders. Overall, the Core i7 13700K is a solid value proposition and the go-to choice for many, prompting AMD to be more competitive in terms of pricing.

The Intel Core i9-13900KS is the latest addition to Intel's 13th generation of CPUs, and it has already proven to be the top-performing one yet. With the ability to reach the impressive benchmark of 6 GHz, consumers can expect to see some incredible numbers in terms of FPS and synthetic benchmark rankings as they learn more about this Raptor Lake bulldozer.

The Core i9-13900KS boasts 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock speed of 3.2 GHz and a boost clock speed of 6 GHz. It also has 68MB of cache and supports Intel® UHD Graphics 770. One of the most notable pros of this CPU is its ability to boost to 6 GHz on company-specified presets without any nudging required. It is also widely considered faster than the competition for most workloads, although not necessarily pertaining to gaming. Additionally, the CPU has higher power limits leeway thanks to binning and Intel allowing it to draw more than the 13900K.

However, the Core i9-13900KS is significantly more expensive than the 13900K, despite essentially being a cherry-picked version of the same. It also generates immense amounts of heat and power draw, potentially requiring the investment in a better power supply and cooling solution to achieve its full performance potential. At a price of $810 on Amazon and $889.99 on Newegg, it is certainly an investment for serious gamers and professionals in need of top-notch performance.

Conclusion

For those who prioritize top-of-the-line Intel processors, the Intel Core i9 13900K is the clear choice until Intel releases a refresh or a newer generation of Meteor Lake chips. On a budget? The Core i5 13500 is a great option that saves you from having to purchase a third-party cooler and still offers impressive performance compared to AMD's 7000 series and Intel's 12th gen.

If you're in need of an overclockable gaming processor, we recommend the 13600KF for its balanced combination of value and performance. However, if your main focus is on finding the fastest CPU for gaming, we suggest checking out our guide on how Intel's 13900KS stacks up against AMD's latest and greatest: The Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

The Intel Core i9 13900KS currently holds the title of the fastest Intel Processor available. However, it comes at a higher cost than the manufacturer's suggested retail price and is currently being sold at a premium by most retailers.

Q: What is the latest generation of Intel Processors in 2023?

A: Intel's 13th generation Raptor Lake processor lineup is currently its latest available consumer-grade CPU product line.