Intel Core i9-13900K and Core i5-13600K Review: Raptor Lake Beats Ryzen 7000
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
The Core i5-13600K is the hands-down winner for mainstream gamers, while the Core i9-13900K is the fastest gaming chip on the market but is overshadowed by the 13700K. Both chips offer leading gaming and productivity performance at their respective price points.
Pros
- +
Class-leading gaming performance
- +
Excellent performance in productivity apps
- +
Excellent pricing
- +
Supports either DDR4 or DDR5
- +
Superior platform pricing
- +
Overclockable
Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Today’s best Intel Core i9 13900K deals
$520
View
$527. 99
View
$579.50
View
Deal ends Sun, Jan 15
$627.42
$599.99
View
Reduced Price
$609.99
View
Show More Deals
The 13th-Gen Intel ‘Raptor Lake’ $589 Core i9-13900K and the $319 Core i5-13600K bring groundbreaking levels of performance to their respective price points, with a ~20% generational jump in gaming performance taking the lead over competing chips from AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series.
We tested all three of the new Raptor Lake chips with the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 to find the best CPU for gaming and the new leader of our CPU benchmark hierarchy. Raptor Lake’s performance gains come from record-high clock speeds that stretch up to 5.8 GHz, with a 6 GHz model coming, while Intel’s generous sprinkling of more cores throughout its product stack gives it the lead in core counts for the first time since AMD’s Ryzen debuted back in 2017.
In many respects, Raptor Lake is an iteration of the microarchitectures found in the previous-gen Alder Lake chips, but with expansive improvements that yield explosive performance gains. Even though Intel still uses the ‘Intel 7’ process node, it leveraged impressive advances in a newer revision of the silicon to push clock speeds higher while improving power efficiency. Intel also etched the cores on a new, larger die with more cores and L3 cache and exposed previously unused L2 cache.
Paired with fine-grained tuning and expanded use of features in the core, Raptor Lake yields the types of performance gains we would normally only expect from the transition to a new process node.
Those types of advances are needed as Intel attempts to fend off the 5nm Ryzen 7000 processors, like the Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 5 7600X, that recently took the lead over Alder Lake.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Row 0 — Cell 0 | Price | Cores / Threads (P+E) | P-Core Base / Boost Clock (GHz) | E-Core Base / Boost Clock (GHz) | Cache (L2/L3) | TDP / PBP / MTP | Memory |
| Core i9-13900K / KF | $589 (K) — $564 (KF) | 24 / 32 (8+16) | 3.0 / 5.8 | 2.2 / 4.3 | 68MB (32+36) | 125W / 253W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-5600 |
| Core i7-13700K / KF | $409 (K) — $384 (KF) | 16 / 24 (8+8) | 3. 4 / 5.4 |
2.5 / 4.2 | 54MB (24+30) | 125W / 253W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-5600 |
| Core i5-13600K / KF | $319 (K) — $294 (KF) | 14 / 20 (6+8) | 3.5 / 5.1 | 2.6 / 3.9 | 44MB (20+24) | 125W / 181W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-5600 |
Like its predecessor, Raptor Lake supports the latest connectivity standards, including PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, with the latter now supporting faster official speeds of DDR5-5600. Intel also preserves DDR4 support for less-expensive build options — a pronounced advantage over AMD’s Ryzen 7000, especially on midrange options. Raptor Lake will also drop into existing motherboards to offer an upgrade path for Alder Lake users, but new 700-series motherboards offer slightly expanded connectivity options.
Intel also introduced more CPU overclocking features.
Of course, there are caveats. Intel’s new chips are its most power-efficient yet, but like AMD, Intel has taken a power-be-damned approach to regain leadership, dialing up its power limits for all the desktop PC chips. That means the heat can be hard to control, so you’ll need to plan for a beefy cooling solution. On the flip side, you can now easily overclock to the highest clock rates we’ve ever seen, and that’s even without using exotic cooling. For instance, we dialed in 5.6 GHz all-core overclocks with relative ease with an AIO watercooler.
Intel did raise the price of the Core i5-13600K model, but it kept the same pricing for the Core i7 and i9. With the company’s continued aggressive chip pricing and options for lower-priced platforms and memory, the 13th-Gen Raptor Lake processors are now the best CPUs for gaming and most other work, even if they don’t take the outright performance lead in all threaded workloads.
- Intel Core i9-13900K (Intel Core i9) at Amazon for $599.99
Intel’s initial Raptor Lake launch includes three overclockable chips, and each has two variants, giving you the option for cheaper graphics-less KF-series models. Intel is expected to release the remaining 16 processors in the lineup early next year. Just like the previous-gen chips, the 13th-Gen Raptor Lake processors come with a mix of both big performance cores (p-cores) for latency-sensitive work and small efficiency cores (e-cores) for threaded and background applications. The e-cores stick with the same Gracemont architecture as before, but the p-cores move from the Golden Cove design to Raptor Cove. We’ll cover the architecture more in-depth after the benchmarks.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Row 0 — Cell 0 | Price | Cores / Threads (P+E) | P-Core Base / Boost Clock (GHz) | E-Core Base / Boost Clock (GHz) | Cache (L2/L3) | TDP / PBP / MTP | Memory |
| Core i9-13900K / KF | $589 (K) — $564 (KF) | 24 / 32 (8+16) | 3. 0 / 5.8 |
2.2 / 4.3 | 68MB (32+36) | 125W / 253W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-5600 |
| Ryzen 9 7950X | $699 | 16 / 32 | 4.5 / 5.7 | — | 80MB (16+64) | 170W / 230W | DDR5-5200 |
| Core i9-12900K / KF | $589 (K) — $564 (KF) | 16 / 24 (8+8) | 3.2 / 5.2 | 2.4 / 3.9 | 44MB (14+30) | 125W / 241W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
| Ryzen 9 7900X | $549 | 12 / 24 | 4.7 / 5.6 | — | 76MB (12+64) | 170W / 230W | DDR5-5200 |
| Core i7-13700K / KF | $409 (K) — $384 (KF) | 16 / 24 (8+8) | 3. 4 / 5.4 |
2.5 / 4.2 | 54MB (24+30) | 125W / 253W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-5600 |
| Core i7-12700K / KF | $409 (K) — $384 (KF) | 12 / 20 (8+4) | 3.6 / 5.0 | 2.7 / 3.8 | 37MB (12+25) | 125W / 190W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
| Ryzen 7 7700X | $399 | 8 / 16 | 4.5 / 5.4 | — | 40MB (8+32) | 105W / 142W | DDR5-5200 |
| Ryzen 5 7600X | $299 | 6 / 12 | 4.7 / 5.3 | — | 38MB (6+32) | 105W / 142W | DDR5-5200 |
| Core i5-13600K / KF | $319 (K) — $294 (KF) | 14 / 20 (6+8) | 3. 5 / 5.1 |
2.6 / 3.9 | 44MB (20+24) | 125W / 181W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-5600 |
| Core i5-12600K / KF | $289 (K) — $264 (KF) | 10 / 16 (6+4) | 3.7 / 4.9 | 2.8 / 3.6 | 29.5MB (9.5+20) | 125W / 150W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
The 24-core 32-thread $589 Core i9-13900K will square off with AMD’s 16-core $699 Ryzen 9 7950X, so Intel has a pricing advantage. The Core i9-13900K has the highest clock rates of the new chips, with a 600 MHz generational improvement bringing it to a 5.8 GHz peak that sets a record for mainstream desktop PCs. Intel employs Thermal Velocity Boost and Turbo Boost 3.0 tech for the Raptor Lake Core i9 models, so the 13900K will have to meet certain temperature (under 70C) and power conditions to boost to 5.
8 GHz on two cores. Intel has also raised the boost frequencies for both p-cores and e-cores on all Raptor Lake chips, but reduced the base clocks by 200 MHz. The latter shouldn’t mean much in practical application — this is done to manage the Base Turbo Power (BTP) rating.
The 13900K has the same 125W BTP as before, but Intel increased the Maximum Turbo Power (MTP) by 12W, bringing it to 253W. That’s a new height for desktop processors, outstripping Ryzen 7000’s peak 230W rating.
The Core i9-13900K has eight more e-cores than its predecessor, delivering much more threaded horsepower and technically taking the core count lead on the mainstream desktop PC over the 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X. In contrast, AMD’s design employs only cores that are analogous to ‘performance cores,’ so we’ll have to look to the benchmarks to suss out the winners instead of relying upon core counts alone. The e-cores come with a 400 MHz increase to the boost clock, bringing them to 4.3 GHz. Even though the e-cores use the same Gracemont architecture, Intel claims that changes to the caching policy and other fine-grained optimizations (more below) now yield the same IPC and frequency as the original 14nm Skylake cores, but at lower power.
The Core i9-13900K is the only Raptor Lake chip to come with Intel’s Adaptive Boost Technology (ABT). In a nutshell, ABT allows Core i9 processors to dynamically boost to higher all-core frequencies based upon available thermal headroom and electrical conditions, so the peak frequencies can vary. It also allows the chip to operate at 100C during normal operation to extract the utmost performance from your setup. We cover this more on the third page.
The $409 Core i7-13700K received a 400 MHz p-core frequency bump to 5.4 GHz, an additional four e-cores for a total of eight, and a 400 MHz e-core boost to 4.2 GHz. Intel also increased the MTP for this chip to 253W, a 63W increase over the prior-gen Core i7-12700K (+33%).
The $319 Core i5-13600K has four more e-cores than the prior gen, and Intel increased the p-core clocks by 200 MHz to reach 5.1 GHz. Intel also bumped the e-cores up by 300 MHz to achieve a 3.9 GHz boost. Naturally, this means the chip will consume more power — the 13600K also has a 31W higher MTP than the prior gen, weighing in at 181W (+20%).
The Core i5-13600K looks to be the most impressive Raptor Lake chip if you’re willing to overclock, as we easily attained a 5.6 GHz overclock that nearly matches the stock Core i9-13900K’s gaming performance. You’ll have to pay for the privilege, though. The $319 Core i3-13600K is the lone chip to receive a price increase; both the full-fledged model and the graphics-less 13600KF are $30 more expensive than the prior gen. Intel has confirmed that e-cores are also coming to more of the Raptor Lake Core i5 lineup. Currently, only the Core i5 ‘K’ Alder Lake model has four e-cores, while the others do not.
Some of the improvements apply to all three chips. For example, Intel increased the L2 cache from 1.25MB to 2MB for each p-core and doubled the amount of L2 cache for each cluster of e-cores to 4MB. The amount of L3 cache has also increased due to adding more e-core clusters, each of which has an adjacent L3 cache slice as part of the design. That leads to cache capacity increases for all K-series Raptor Lake chips.
Intel has increased its DDR5 memory support up to 5600 MT/s if you use one DIMM per channel (1DPC), a big increase over the prior 4800 MT/s speed with Alder Lake. Just as importantly, Intel increased 2DPC speeds up to 4400 MT/s, an improvement over the previous-gen 3600 MT/s. Raptor Lake also continues to support DDR4 memory, which Intel predicts will coexist in the market with DDR5 until the end of 2024. This approach ensures a value option for Intel platforms, unlike AMD’s all-in approach with DDR5.
Both Raptor Lake and Alder Lake drop into motherboards with the LGA 1700 socket, so they’ll both work with existing 600-series or new 700-series chipsets. Intel says that, on a like-for-like basis, you shouldn’t see any performance differences if you use a previous-gen 600-series motherboard for Raptor Lake. As usual, Intel will bring its Z-series (Z790, in this case) motherboards to market first, with the value-centric B- and H-series coming when it launches the rest of the Raptor Lake lineup.
The 700-series motherboards bring minor improvements over the 600-series, but Intel has increased the number of PCIe 4.0 lanes hanging off the chipset to 20, an increase of eight additional lanes. Intel also added support for one more USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 200Gps port, bringing the total to five. As before, the Raptor Lake chip itself supports 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 and four lanes of PCIe 4.0 for a storage device.
Intel doesn’t include a cooler with the Raptor Lake processors but recommends a 280mm AIO watercooler or air equivalent (or greater). Existing LGA 1700 coolers are compatible with the new Raptor Lake motherboards but bear in mind that the performance of your cooler can significantly limit performance, so it’s best to overprovision. You’ll need to ensure you have a beefy cooler for stock operation with the Core i9 and i7 models, and even an overclocked Core i5-13600K can challenge lower-end 240mm AIOs.
The Raptor Lake iGPU is based on the same Xe-LP Gen 12.2 architecture found with Alder Lake.
Aside from minor clock speed improvements, there aren’t any changes to the iGPU, so you shouldn’t expect any meaningful gaming performance.
- MORE: AMD vs Intel
- MORE: Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 All We Know
- MORE: Raptor Lake All We Know
- 1
Current page:
The Fastest Yet
Next Page Intel 13th-Gen Raptor Lake Architecture
Paul Alcorn is the Deputy Managing Editor for Tom’s Hardware US. He writes news and reviews on CPUs, storage and enterprise hardware.
Intel Core i5 13600K review
Our Verdict
The Core i5 13600K deserves to be at the heart of your next gaming PC build.
For
- Gaming performance close to a Core i9 12900K
- Multithreaded performance close to a Core i9 12900K
- Basically a Core i9
- Fairly efficient
- Cheaper 600-series platform available
Against
- Hotter and hungrier than the Core i5 12600K
- Slower than last-gen in some games
Why you can trust PC Gamer
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.
Find out more about how we test.
The Intel Core i5 13600K is another mighty mid-range chip from Intel, and you can expect a major uplift in core counts even with this more parsimoniously priced Raptor Lake chip. Well-tuned to deliver high gaming frame rates, this is ultimately the chip most gamers should consider first for their next gaming PC.
Core i5 13600K specs
Cores (P+E): 6+8
Threads: 20
L3 Cache (Smart Cache): 24MB
L2 Cache: 20MB
Max P-core Turbo frequency (GHz): 5.1
Max E-core Turbo frequency (GHz): 3.9
P-core base frequency (GHz): 3.5
E-core base frequency (GHz): 2.6
Unlocked: Yes
Max PCIe lanes: 20
Graphics: UHD Graphics 770
Memory support (up to): DDR5 5600MT/s, DDR4 3200MT/s
Processor Base Power (W): 125
Maximum Turbo Power (W): 181
RRP: $319–$329
The fundamental hybrid architecture found in the Core i5 13600K is a continuation of the one introduced with Alder Lake and the 12th Gen, but with Raptor Lake there have been a few key improvements.
I go into those in greater detail in our Core i9 13900K review , but this is the headline upgrade: more cores.
The Core i5 13600K is a 14-core processor, made up of six Hyper-Threaded Performance-cores (P-cores) and eight Efficient-cores (E-cores), for a total of 20 threads. That’s four more E-cores than this chip’s predecessor, the Core i5 12600K , but don’t be fooled by the E-cores’s diminutive name and silicon footprint. Those four extra cores make for a significant increase in multithreaded performance.
The chip makes light work of Blender’s Junk Shop benchmark, putting in a significantly faster samples per minute pace than the Core i5 12600K it replaces. The Core i5 13600K is also 37% faster than the Core i5 12600K in the synthetic Cinebench R23 benchmark. But the even more surprising stat is that the Core i5 13600K is only 12% shy of the multithreaded score of the Intel Core i9 12900K .
The Core i5 13600K’s single-threaded Cinebench score? Exactly the same as a Core i9 12900K, actually.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
Alright, real-life performance won’t see the Core i5 13600K matching the Core i9 12900K in every regard, but it really does deliver something similar in gaming for a lot less money.
Image 1 of 7
(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
Test rigs
Intel
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix Z690-F Gaming WiFi
Storage: 2TB Sabrent Rocket 4.0 Plus
Cooler: Asus ROG Ryujin II
PSU: Gigabyte Aorus P1200W
AMD
Motherboard: ASRock X670E Taichi
Storage: 1TB WD Black SN850
Cooler: Corsair h200i RGB
PSU: NZXT 850W
Shared
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo DDR5-6000 CL30 2x 16GB
Graphics card: Nvidia RTX 3080 10GB
In three out of six games I’ve tested, the Core i5 13600K matches the pace of the Core i9 12900K.
In one of those three, it actually outperforms the Core i9 chip. That’s Civ 6, which admittedly has become a bit of a cakewalk for the latest generation of processors from Intel and AMD. But it’s no less an excellent showing for the far cheaper CPU.
Speaking of AMD, the Core i5 13600K is looking increasingly impressive in the face of the competition. The Core i5 13600K beats the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X in all but a single game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and it doesn’t let up in more productivity/creative workloads, such as Blender and x264. The blend of P-cores and E-cores appears to be working a treat versus even Zen 4’s homogenous, and still mighty, core design.
(Image credit: Future)
Even when it comes to power efficiency, which is usually not Intel’s forte, the Core i5 13600K’s more sensible clock speeds and core counts make for a much more efficient chip. It’s relatively similar in terms of power draw in our x264 benchmark to the Ryzen 7 7700X, and it generally doesn’t run as hot as the competition for that efficiency.
That said, it does draw more from the wall than its predecessor, the Core i5 12600K. Compared to the Core i9 13900K, however, it’s practically in a permanent eco-mode.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
The Core i5 13600K is made that much better by its price versus the competition and against the 12th Gen. It’s listed with a $319.00—$329.00 recommended customer price. Now, that is a great price for this sort of performance, but I should mention that may or may not exactly materialise on launch day. The on-shelf price may be upwards of that. But the thing to consider is that AMD seemingly has very little response to this chip with the existing Ryzen 7000-series lineup either way.
It would take a serious price cut to make the Ryzen 7 7700X the chip to buy at this price, and if the 7700X can’t do it, the Ryzen 5 7600X can’t either. Though the Ryzen 5 7600X is cheaper at $299, and so far there’s no Raptor Lake chip under $300, so I’m not dismissing the cheaper option entirely here.
Intel also has the holistically cheaper chip in the Core i5 13600K. I suspect some builders will find a way to spend a bucket load of cash on their motherboard and RAM, rather than taking the cheap 600-series/DDR4 option, but if you wanted to you could save a lot of money on Intel’s 600-series chipsets and more affordable RAM versus AMD’s newer and generally dearer AM5 chipsets and DDR5 memory.
That pricing disparity might not remain for the lifetime of these chips, but at launch it’s certainly a factor to consider. Both companies should have cheaper CPUs and chipsets available early next year to make life easier for budget builders, anyways.
(Image credit: Future)
The Core i5 13600K is much more of an all-round powerhouse than I had expected it to be.
We’re once again seeing the best gaming chip come from the lower rungs of the stack with Raptor Lake. The Core i5 13600K delivers exceptional gaming performance in a sensibly priced package, delivering only a handful of frames less than the processors that fetch double the asking price.
For a gaming PC build in 2022/23, this is absolutely the chip I’d recommend to most.
But I’d go one further than that. The inclusion of four more E-cores turns this processor into a 14-core chip with the multithreaded performance to deliver in high-demand applications, and that makes it a great fit for streaming, content creation, editing, and more. The Core i5 13600K is much more of an all-round powerhouse than I had expected it to be.
So, if supply remains steady and the price sticks to the recommended figure, this is a shoe-in for the overall best CPU in 2022, and likely a good part of 2023, too.
Intel Core i5-13600K: Price Comparison
£299.99
View
£319.98
View
£335.
98
View
£336.49
View
£341.42
View
Show More Deals
powered by
Read our review policy
Intel Core i5 13600K
The Core i5 13600K deserves to be at the heart of your next gaming PC build.
Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog from his hometown in Wales in 2017. From there, he graduated to professionally breaking things as hardware writer at PCGamesN, where he would later win command of the kit cupboard as hardware editor. Nowadays, as senior hardware editor at PC Gamer, he spends his days reporting on the latest developments in the technology and gaming industry.
When he’s not writing about GPUs and CPUs, however, you’ll find him trying to get as far away from the modern world as possible by wild camping.
personal experience of a Tinkoff Magazine reader
This is a story from the Community. The editors asked leading questions, carefully edited and designed according to the standards of the journal.
Denis Polyakov
made a dream come true
Author profile
Back in the 90s, I wanted to buy a computer that would allow me to run new games.
But then I lived in the provinces, there was little money, so you could forget about the purchase. However, I have always liked games. I could disappear for hours in them — immerse myself in fictional worlds and live the story of heroes. True, I could only play them with friends. nine0003
Why I wanted to build a PC
In 2006, when I was in 11th grade, my family finally had the opportunity to buy me a PC. I didn’t really understand the topic, so the seller assembled the components.
I remember that the computer was on AMD and only played games at medium settings. I did not live with him for long: after school I entered Moscow and left the PC to my older brother.
During my sophomore year, I purchased a rather powerful laptop for those times. Of course, it was possible to play old games on it, but I mainly used it for study. nine0003
/pc-for-gaming/
I built a PC for 146,000 R because I missed video games
A powerful PC remained a childhood dream — I wanted a build that I could work on and run new things. But something got in the way all the time: either I had to spend money on renting an apartment, or save money to buy a car.
My knowledge of PCs and components. Dreams of a computer haunted me, so I began to study assemblies and components a long time ago. I watched content from such tech bloggers as Remontyash, Fosters and NostalzhiPK, and also read articles on specialized sites.
nine0003 Content of the NostalgyPK channel
Initially, I thought it would be good to save money and buy old Xeons on the advice of NostalzhiPK, but I studied the topic in more detail and immediately dismissed this idea. The fact is that you take a pig in a poke: these chips have worked for hundreds of hours, so you don’t know exactly when their time will come.
The coolest site that helped me build a PC is 3DNews with their articles in the «Computer of the Month» section. They select components very competently and give links to them. In addition, the comments show that the author of these articles understands the topic, since the audience of the site is techno-maniacs. At first I wanted to heed the advice and buy a PC from one article, but still decided to build it myself. I thought that I could save money and not go beyond the desired budget from 40,000 to 50,000 R.
/list/games-for-weak-pc/
20 exciting games for weak computers and laptops
Start of assembly
It is symbolic that my birthday helped to fulfill a dream.
In 2020, I turned 30 years old — according to tradition, friends gave money, not gifts. It turned out to be about 10,000 R. Soon I saw an ad on Aliexpress — they say, now there are discounts, you can snatch cheap processors. I went into the selection and was surprised: indeed, the AMD Ryzen 3600 was sold for 9809 R, although the processor cost about 14,000 R in local electronics stores. The seller had a high rating and positive reviews. I took a chance and ordered, although I was afraid that a marriage might come, and the money would fly away into the pipe. nine0003
The processor arrived without damage. After that, other proposals appeared — as if everything had been planned. Either a motherboard at a discount, or favorable prices for RAM. As a result, I decided to assemble a PC — I compared components for a long time, studied reviews and tests. A month later everything was delivered to my home.
Iron and accessories — 50 200 R
| Name | Cost |
|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 3600 | |
| Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 580 8 GB graphics card — used | 8500 P |
| Monitor AOC 24 24V2Q | 7690 P |
| Chieftec Power Smart Series 750W [GPS-750C] | 5690 R |
| Crucial Ballistix Sport LT Red 16GB RAM | 5660 P |
| Housing Chieftec Scorpion II GL-02B-OP | 5420 P |
| Motherboard MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX | 4499 P |
| Snowman Cooler Master | 1090 |
| Headphones Kotion Each G2000 | 1000 R |
| Keyboard MSI Vigor GK40 | 842 |
| Drive from an old laptop | 0 |
Name
Cost
Processor AMD Ryzen 3600
9809 R
Video card Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 580 8 GB-B/U
8500 R
AOC 24V2Q
7690 R
Chieftec Power Smart Smart Series
RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport LT RED 16 GB
5660 R
CHIEFTEC Scorpion II GL-02B-OP
5420 R
Maternal MSI MAX
SNDH 9000 ° 9000 ° C.
nine0003
1090 R
Headphones Kotion Each G2000
1000 R
Keyboard MSI VIGOR GK40
842 P
Drummer of the old laptop
0 R
What I guided. Decided to go with an AMD processor because I just love the company. She makes a cool product for ordinary hard workers at an affordable price. They do not have such aggressive marketing as Intel or Nvidia, and they do not bribe bloggers, but achieve success with work and attitude towards people. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a very good chip. Again, I decided to take it because of the cool price. nine0003
I took the video card from my hands — it turned out cheaper compared to analogues from Nvidia. In addition, it is rare to stumble upon a problematic product on used sites, since mining on video cards of this series is rare.
I chose the motherboard for compatibility and discounts. There was no principal manufacturer, as for other components.
But I wanted to immediately take the case for a long time and of good quality, so I did not skimp on it.
I searched for reviews, the number of fans and the convenience of placing the power supply. Didn’t guess. nine0003
Gaming performance
Dying Light was the first game to run on the new computer. The fact is that once I started playing it on an old laptop. The average FPS then fluctuated from 20 to 30 frames per second, so I postponed the passage for the future. The new PC at maximum settings produced around 90-100 frames. I was finally able to comfortably complete the game.
After that, he launched the main games of the last decade, such as Metal Gear Solid V, DOOM, Fallout 4, BioShock Infinite, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and others. I liked each of them — these are wonderful games, masterpieces. nine0003
/list/rpg-newbies/
The Witcher, Skyrim and Mass Effect: 11 great RPGs for newbies in the genre
In the near future I plan to replay GTA 5 and try the games that I once bought on Steam. I have 141 games in my library, ranging from classics like Half-Life 2 and Gothic to recent hits like Disco Elysium.
Difficulties and advice for those who plan to assemble a PC
Building a PC for the first time is always scary. I looked for training videos from bloggers on YouTube and did everything in three hours. I was afraid to spoil the components, so I did everything very slowly. And yet, there were some problems: the PC did not start and began to swear, they say, the RAM sticks are nearby. There are four compartments in the motherboard — I rearranged the dies through one, and the PC immediately turned on.
Another problem occurred after updating the operating system. Previously, I used Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC — everything went perfectly on it, like on a calculator. At some point, I decided to switch to Windows 11. At first, I could not install it — it turned out that I had to go into the BIOS and change the settings there. And then I realized that the OS is still raw, it will take a long time to optimize and finish it. Although after a few updates it looks better and has become responsive.
The main thing is that this does not affect the performance of games in any way, because everything flies, as before. nine0003 My settings in the game Batman: Arkham Knight
I think that it is better to build a PC on your own. In stores it will be much more expensive, and the assembly there is not very good. I advise you to spend time and pump yourself in the topic. Or at least hire people who will do everything for you. There are specialists who select components for the budget, and there are those who are ready to assemble what you bought.
The main thing is to be careful, read reviews and compare prices. You can always make a mistake or foolishly overpay. nine0003
Impressions of the assembled PC and plans
I think that now my PC has no minuses. The main thing is that it works like clockwork. All the details stood up like family. I am very pleased with the build and can’t stop admiring my bright new computer.
My video card is 100% loaded in games. I will try to learn more about overclocking and FidelityFX technology to improve performance.
Perhaps this will extend the life of the video card. Although I’m already thinking about an upgrade.
If I take a video card, then only from AMD: I really like what the «reds» do. I’m also thinking about M.2 SSDs and a new 120Hz monitor. But this is all in the future, while the current PC suits me 110%. nine0003
Readers build computers. Stories about how to build a PC yourself
Share your experience
Which processor is better to choose in 2021 ?
For an office, home or gaming computer, it is not so difficult to choose the right processor. You just need to decide on the needs, a little orientation in the characteristics and price ranges. It makes no sense to thoroughly study the smallest nuances if you are not a «geek», but you need to understand what to pay attention to. nine0003
For example, you can look for a processor with a higher frequency and cache memory, but without paying attention to the chip core, you can get into trouble.
The core, in fact, is the main performance factor, and the rest of the characteristics are plus or minus. In general terms, I can say that the more expensive the product in the line of one manufacturer, the better, more powerful, faster it is. But AMD processors are cheaper than those of Intel.
Contents
A few general recommendations
- The processor should be chosen depending on the tasks. If in normal mode you have about two resource-intensive programs running, then it is better to buy a dual-core “stone” with a high frequency. If more threads are used, it is better to opt for a multi-core of the same architecture, even if with a lower frequency. nine0237
- Hybrid processors (with integrated video card) will save on the purchase of a video card, provided that you do not need to play fancy games. These are almost all modern Intel and AMD processors of the A4-A12 series, but AMD has a stronger graphics core.
- All processors marked «BOX» must be supplied with a cooler (of course, a simple model, which is not enough for high loads, but it’s what you need to work in the nominal mode).
If you need a cool cooler, then you are here. nine0237
- OEM processors have a one-year warranty, BOX processors have a three-year warranty. If the warranty period provided by the store is shorter, it is better to think about looking for another distributor.
- In some cases, it makes sense to buy percent from the hands, so you can save about 30% of the amount. True, this method of purchase is associated with a certain risk, so you need to pay attention to the availability of a guarantee and the reputation of the seller.
Basic specifications for processors
Now about some characteristics that are still worth mentioning. It is not necessary to delve into, but it will be useful to understand my recommendations for specific models.
Each processor has its own socket (platform) , i.e. the name of the connector on the motherboard for which it is intended. Whichever processor you choose, be sure to look at socket matching. At the moment there are several platforms.
For Intel:
- LGA1150 — not for top processors, used for office computers, gaming and home media center. Integrated entry-level graphics, except for Intel Iris/Iris Pro. Already out of circulation. nine0237
- LGA1151 is a modern platform, recommended for a future upgrade to newer «stones». The processors themselves are not much faster than the previous platform, i.e., it makes no sense to upgrade to it. But on the other hand, there is a more powerful integrated graphics core of the Intel Graphics series, DDR4 memory is supported, but it does not give a strong performance gain.
- LGA2011-v3 is a top platform designed for building high-performance desktop systems based on Intel X29 system logic9, expensive, outdated.
- LGA 2066 (Socket R4) — socket for HEDT (Hi-End) Intel processors of Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X architecture, came to replace 2011-3.
For AMD:
- AM1 for weak, energy efficient processors
- AM3+ is a common socket, suitable for most AMD processors, incl.
for high performance processors without integrated video core - AM4 is designed for Zen microarchitecture (Ryzen brand) microprocessors with and without integrated graphics, and all subsequent ones. Added support for DDR4 memory. nine0237
- FM2/FM2+ for budget Athlon X2/X4 without integrated graphics.
- sTR4 is a socket type for the HEDT family of Ryzen Threadripper microprocessors. Similar to server sockets, the most massive and for desktop computers.
There are outdated platforms that you can buy to save money, but keep in mind that new processors will no longer be made for them: LGA1155, AM3, LGA2011, AM2 / +, LGA775 and others that are not in the lists.
Kernel name. nine0028 Each line of processors has its own kernel name. For example, Intel currently has Sky Lake, Kaby Lake, and the latest eighth-generation Coffee Lake. AMD has Richland, Bulldozer, Zen. The higher the generation, the more high-performance chip, at lower power consumption, and the more technologies are introduced.
Number of cores: from 2 to 18 pieces. The bigger, the better. But there is such a moment: programs that do not know how to distribute the load among the cores will run faster on a dual-core with a higher clock frequency than on a 4-core, but at a lower frequency. In short, if there is no clear technical task, then the rule works: more is better, and the further, the more correct it will be. nine0003
Process technology , measured in nanometers, for example — 14nm. Does not affect performance, but does affect CPU heating. Each new generation of processors is manufactured according to a new process technology with a smaller nm. This means that if you take a processor of the previous generation and about the same new one, then the latter will heat up less. But, since new products are made faster, they heat up in about the same way. That is, process improvements enable manufacturers to make faster processors. nine0003
Clock frequency , measured in gigahertz, for example — 3.
5 GHz. Always the more — the better, but only within the same series. If you take an old Pentium with a frequency of 3.5 GHz and some new one, then the old one will be many times slower. This is due to the fact that they have completely different nuclei.
Almost all «stones» are able to accelerate, i.e. operate at a higher frequency than the one indicated in the specifications. But this is a topic for those who understand, because. you can burn the processor or get a non-working system! nine0003
Cache size 1, 2 and 3 levels , one of the key characteristics, the more the faster. The first level is the most important, the third is less significant. Directly depends on the kernel and series.
TDP — thermal power dissipation, well, or how hot the processor is at maximum load. A lower number means less heat. Without clear personal preferences, this can be ignored. Powerful processors consume 110-220 watts of electricity in the load. You can see the diagram of the approximate energy consumption of Intel and AMD processors under normal load, the less the better:
Model, series : not related to the characteristics, but nevertheless I want to tell you how to understand which processor is better within one series, without really delving into the characteristics.
The name of the processor, such as «Intel i3-8100», consists of the series «Core i3» and the model number «8100». The first digit means the line of processors on some core, and the next ones are its “performance index”, roughly speaking. So we can estimate that:
- Core i3-8300 is faster than i3-8100
- i3-8100 is faster than i3-7100
- But the i3-7300 will be faster than the i3-8100, despite the younger series, because 300 is much more than 100. I think you get the point.
The same goes for AMD.
Will you play on the computer?
The next thing to decide in advance: the gaming future of the computer. For Farm Frenzy and other simple online games, any built-in graphics will do. If buying an expensive video card is not included in the plans, but you want to play, then you need to take a processor with a normal graphics core Intel Graphics 530/630/Iris Pro, AMD Radeon RX Vega Series. Even modern games will run in Full HD 1080p resolution at minimum and medium graphics quality settings.
You can play World of Tanks, GTA, Dota and others. nine0003
If you buy a powerful video card, then it makes sense to take a processor without integrated graphics at all, and save on it (or get more power for the same price). The circle can be narrowed like this:
- AMD has FX series processors for the AM3+ platform and A12/10/8/6/4 hybrid solutions, as well as Athlon X4 for FM2+/AM4
- Intel has SkyLake and Kaby Lake series processors for LGA1151 and LGA2066 platforms and obsolete BroadWell-E for LGA2011-v3 (there are only a few models). nine0237
Another thing to consider here is that a powerful video card and processor need to match. I will not give clear answers to questions like “what kind of processor is needed for this video card”. This question needs to be studied independently by reading relevant reviews, tests, comparisons, forums. But I will give you a couple of suggestions.
First, you need at least a 4-core processor. Even more cores will not add much fps in games.
At the same time, it turns out that 4-core AMD is better suited for games than 2-core Intel at the same or even lower price. nine0003
Secondly, you can navigate like this: the cost of the processor is equal to the cost of the video card. In fact, despite dozens of models, making the right choice is not difficult.
Note on AMD
The most budget line is called «Sempron». With each new generation, performance increases, but still these are the weakest processors. Recommended only for working with office documents, surfing the Internet, watching videos and music.
The company has a series of FX — these are obsolete top-end chips for the AM3 + platform. Everyone has an unlocked multiplier, i.e. they are easy to overclock (if necessary). There are 4, 6 and 8 core models. Supports automatic overclocking technology — Turbo Core. Only DDR3 memory works. It is better when the platform works with DDR4. nine0003
There are also mid-range products — Athlon X4 and a line of hybrid processors (with integrated graphics) A4/A6/A8/A10/A12.
This is for FM2/FM2+/AM4 platforms. A-series is divided into 2 and 4 cores. The power of integrated graphics is higher in older models. If the name has the letter “K” at the end, then this model comes with an unlocked multiplier, i.e. easier to overclock. Supported by Turbo Core. It makes sense to take something from the A-series, only on the condition that there will be no separate video card. nine0003
For socket AM4, the newest processors are the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 series. They are positioned as competitors to Intel Core i3, i5, i7. There are without integrated graphics and with it, then the letter G will be in the model name, for example AMD Ryzen A5 2400G. The top line with 8-16 core processors is AMD Ryzen Threadripper with a massive cooling system.
Note about Intel
The LGA1151 platform includes a complete set of models, listed in ascending order of performance: Celeron, Pentium, Core i3/i5/i7. There are economical processors, they have the letters «T» or «S» in their name.
They are slower and I see no reason to put them on home computers unless there is a special need, for example for a home file storage / media center. DDR4 memory is supported, embedded video is everywhere. nine0003
The most budgetary dual-core processors with integrated graphics are Celeron, AMD’s analogue of Sempron, and more powerful Pentiums. For domestic needs, it is better to install at least a Pentium.
Top LGA2066 for Skylake and Kabylake with i5/i7 and top i9 series processors. They work with DDR4 memory, have 4-18 cores on board and no integrated graphics. Unlocked multiplier.
Info:
- Core i5 and i7 processors support Turbo Boost
- processors are not always faster than their Sky Lake predecessors. The difference in architecture can be offset by different clock speeds. As a rule, a faster processor costs a little more, even if it is Sky Lake. But Skylake accelerates well.
- processors with Iris Pro integrated graphics are suitable for quiet gaming builds, but they are quite expensive
- processors based on the LGA1151 platform are suitable for gaming systems, but it will not make sense to install more than two video cards, because.
a maximum of 16 PCI Express lanes are supported. For a complete separation, you need an LGA2011-v3 or LGA2066 socket and the corresponding pebbles. nine0237
- The Xeon line is designed for servers.
Kaby Lake socket
Which is better AMD or Intel?
This is an eternal dispute, to which thousands of pages of forums on the Internet are devoted, and there is no definite answer to it. Both companies follow each other, but for myself I made a choice which is better. In a nutshell, AMD produces optimal budget solutions, while Intel produces more technologically advanced and expensive products. AMD rules in the low-end sector, but this company simply has no analogues to the fastest Intel processors. nine0003
Processors don’t break like monitors or hard drives, so reliability is not an issue here. That is, if you do not overclock the “stone” and use a fan no worse than a boxed (complete) one, then any processor will last for many, many years. There are no bad models, but there is a feasibility of buying depending on the price, characteristics and other factors, such as the presence of a particular motherboard.
For reference, I provide a summary table of approximate performance in games of Intel and AMD processors on a powerful GeForce GTX1080 video card, the higher -> the better:
Comparison of processors in tasks. close to everyday, normal load:
Archiving in 7-zip (less time — better result):
To independently compare different processors, I suggest using tables. So, let’s move from verbosity to specific recommendations.
Processors under $40
Of course, you shouldn’t expect high performance for this money. Typically, such a processor is bought in two cases:
- For an office computer that does not require high performance
- For the so-called «home server» — a computer whose main purpose is to store and play video and audio files.
High-definition movies and simple games will run smoothly on these computers, but don’t expect much more. Processors are suitable for operation in nominal mode
AMD A4, A6 (the higher the model, the slightly more expensive and faster).
The cheapest models from the A4 series are NOT recommended, these are slow processors with slow graphics, worse than Intel. nine0003
An excellent choice would be a processor
Intel Celeron G3900-3930 (LGA1151 socket) with DDR4 memory support and more powerful integrated graphics. These processors overclock well.
If you have an external video card, you can save a little more and take
AMD Athlon A4 X2, but better aim for 4 cores
Athlon II X4 or because This processor does not have an integrated graphics core. Separately, it is worth mentioning that you should NOT pay attention to the quad-core AMD Sempron and Athlon Kabini X4 for socket AM1. These are slow processors, unsuccessful products of the company. nine0003
Up to $80
There are a few more possibilities here, because for this amount you can buy a good quad-core. This also includes the initial kits motherboard + built-in processor. Their purpose is to ensure the stable operation of stationary computers of low and medium power.
Usually they are enough for comfortable work on the Internet, but such a kit is not suitable for a serious load.
For nominal operation, it is best to select a processor
AMD Athlon X4 for AMD AM4 platform. If you need integrated graphics, then take any one you like for the price from the series
AMD A8 or microprocessor
Intel Pentium Dual-Core G4600 for Intel LGA1151 platform. nine0003
Good performance in overclocking mode is shown by processors of the series
AMD FX or Athlon X4 xxxK i.e. with the letter «K». These models have an unlocked multiplier, which means they can be easily overclocked. But when buying it, you need to consider that not every motherboard is suitable for overclocking. Can be used with NVidia GTX1050Ti level graphics card.
Approximately $120
AMD Quad-Core APU can be selected from the
Ryzen 3 on the AMD AM4 platform, which is suitable for creating a media center and even for gaming at medium settings. These «stones» have a very good graphics card Radeon Vega R8 Series.
If you look towards Intel in the price category up to $120, then there is nothing interesting, except perhaps
Pentium G5600. nine0003
To work in overclocking mode, and not only, choose a processor
Intel i3-7100. Not the best option for games, because. there are only 2, but very fast cores. And here is the processor
AMD FX-8350 with its 8 cores will come in handy. And the clock frequency can be raised from the standard 4 to 4.5 GHz.
Under $200
The best performance in this category is provided by Intel processors on the LGA1151 platform, although AMD is still trying to hold its ground. The best choice would be
Intel i5-7400. Despite its 4 cores, multithreading is supported up to 8. It will show good performance in games and ideal in home applications. AMD Ryzen 5 draws attention with excellent Vega 11 graphics card.
At a slightly lower price, AMD may be more efficient in multi-threaded operations. In other words — for games you can take a series
Ryzen 5, save money.
For other tasks where multithreading is not required, it is better to look at Intel.
Under $280
Best for nominal work
Intel Core i5-8600. If you need to save a little, then the i5-8500 will do. Among AMD without hesitation, you can take
Ryzen 5 2600X. This is a great LATEST processor from AMD that makes sense to buy (and overclock ;). nine0003
For overclocking, the best choice would be a processor
Intel Core i5-8600k for LGA 1151, which has no competitors in this case. High frequency and unlocked multiplier make this gem ideal for gamers and overclockers. Among the processors used for overclocking, it is he who so far shows the best price / performance / power consumption ratio. The
Core i5-5675C of the Broadwell generation carries the most powerful Iris Pro 6200 integrated graphics card (GT3e core) on board, and at the same time it does not get very hot, because. Made in 14nm process technology. Suitable for compact and uncompromising gaming systems. nine0003
Processors starting at $400
If we talk about the best model in this price range, it is worth highlighting here
Intel Core i7-8700K for the Intel LGA 1151 platform.
This percentage is the best for both nominal use and overclocking, and is also great for top games at high settings, with corresponding to a video card. Its antipode is products
AMD Ryzen 7.
If you can afford to spend more on a «stone», the choice is clear — the processor
Intel Core i7-7820X for socket LGA 2066. For the right price, you get fast 8 cores, but no integrated graphics. Yes, I think who takes such a smart guy and thinks to work on an integrated card ? There is a worthy competitor from AMD — this is a monster
Ryzen Threadripper 1920X with 12 cores.
And here is the flagship
The Intel Core i9-7980XE with 18 cores is worth buying except for greater solidity, because, despite the significant difference in price (the flagship costs three times more), the processor does not come off much in terms of performance in desktop PC tasks. This animal is the sole leader in this price category, both for nominal use and for overclocking.
Should I change the processor?
Unlike smartphones and tablets, the desktop and laptop industry has not seen as much progress.
As a rule, the processor does not change for several years and works fine. Therefore, it is better to take his choice responsibly, preferably with a small margin. nine0003
So, processors 2 or even 3 years old are not really inferior to their modern brothers. The increase in performance, if we take similar ones at a price, is on average 20%, which is almost imperceptible in real life.
Finally, I want to give a couple of tips:
- Do not chase top models with super power. If you do not play or work in highly demanding applications, then a powerful processor will only eat extra electricity and quickly become cheaper over time. nine0237
- New items are not much faster than their predecessors, by 10-20% percent, and this is almost imperceptible in everyday work, but they are more expensive and sometimes require replacement of the motherboard for installation.
- When choosing a powerful processor, consider that your power supply has enough power based on the power consumption of the «stone» and the entire system unit as a whole!
The central processing unit is the heart of the computer and the speed of calculating operations depends on it.