Intel unleashes 13th-gen Core CPUs with more cores, face-melting speeds

Intel's Core i9-13900K offers eight more cores and GOOMHz more turbo boost speed than its 12th-gen predecessor

- MARK HACHMAN

Intel kicked off its 13th-gen Core (Raptor Lake) generation in late September with six new processors that executives claim offer the “world’s best gaming experience” for enthusiasts, with up to 24 percent performance improvement in gaming compared to Intel’s own 12th-gen Core chips.

A large part of that increase derives from the fact that Intel is offering many more cores, more threads, and higher clock speeds than ever before. The Core i9-13900K,for example, offers eight more cores plus eight more threads than the corresponding 12th-gen Core model, with an additional 600MHz of “turbo” speed on top.

The unlocked Core i9-13900K tops out at a boost speed of 5.8GHz, though the other processors operate at slower speeds. “To be clear, we are delivering the world’s fastest desktop processor out of the box,” said Mandy Mock, vice president and general manager of desktop, workstation, and channel for Intel.

You may have anticipated higher prices for the new chips, perhaps in the wake of the sticker shock surrounding Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 40-series GPUs (fave.co/ 3yG7Ber) and recent shortage pricing. But aside from the Core i5-13600K and i5-13600KF (which received a $30 bump), the prices of Intel’s 13th-gen Raptor Lake Core chips are identical to those of Intel’s 12th-gen Alder Lake. And now, AMD’s rival Ryzen CPUs aren’t always a cheaper option.