
Right this moment we’re exploring the variations between the 13900K and the 12900K, to find out which one is one of the best in what circumstance.
Up to date: Nov 21, 2022 8:44 am
Intel released its 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs to the world on the twentieth of October 2022. Because the Thirteenth-generation CPUs have been launched, they’ve thought us all the pieces we have to know to make some deductions on how the newest flagship stacks up towards earlier generations. Right here’s our Intel Core i9-13900K vs Core i9-12900K article.
Now learn: Best 12th gen motherboard
Intel just lately held its annual Innovention occasion, the place er obtained a snippet of knowledge concerning the brand new Raptor Lake flagship. Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, acknowledged that the Raptor Lake household could have a flagship CPU containing as much as 24 Efficiency and Effectivity cores, as much as a 15% higher single-core efficiency acquire, and as much as 41% higher multi-thread efficiency acquire.
The Intel twelfth gen processors maintain worth and have seen a lower for the reason that Thirteenth gen was launched. For people who need to improve later, somewhat than sooner, or simply need the perfect gaming efficiency, an Intel Raptor Lake processor is the best way to, right here’s the place you should purchase them:

Continuum Micro Workstation PC (RTX 4090 & Intel i9-13900KF)
CPU
Intel 24-Core i9-13900KF
Storage
2TB NVMe SSD + 6TB HDD
Core i9-13900K Vs Core i9-12900K: Specs
Right here we are going to define the specs of every CPU and try them each in a comparative sense.
13900K
The 13900K is designed to be one of the best the Thirteenth technology has to supply it’s Intel’s new flagship CPU for the Raptor Lake technology. Intel’s 13900K spares no value with regards to efficiency, that means you possibly can anticipate to pay a excessive value for it.
The specs for the i9-13900K are as follows:
- Cores: P-cores 8 / E-cores 16
- Threads: 32
- Base clock frequency: P-cores 3 GHz / E-cores 2.2 GHz
- Enhance clock frequency: P-cores 5.8 GHz / E-cores 4.3 GHz
- L3 cache: 36MB
- Default TDP: 125 W / 253 W increase.
- iGPU: Intel UHD graphics 770
12900K
The 12900K was the quickest CPU on the planet on the desktop platform till the 12900KS rolled round, the 12900K is the quickest (none-special version) CPU to grace the twelfth technology Alder Lake CPU technology. This was additionally the primary time Intel used the spit core structure too, so there was a lot to be improved upon.
The specs of the 12900K are as follows:
- Cores: P-cores 8 / E-cores 8
- Threads: 24
- Base clock frequency: P-cores 3.2 GHz / E-cores 2.4 GHz
- Enhance clock frequency: P-cores 5.1 GHz / E-cores 3.9 GHz
- L3 cache: 30MB
- Default TDP: 125 W / 241 W increase.
- iGPU: Intel UHD graphics 770


Intel Core i9-12900K
Enhance clock pace (single core)
5.3 GHz
Complete Cores / Threads
16/24
13900K vs 12900K: specification comparability
On this part, we’re going to look over the variations between the 2 CPUs and see if we are able to deduce which of the 2 goes to be higher in a gaming situation.
We’ll solely be protecting specs which have modified during the last technology, so in case you don’t see a particular specification right here, then it’s most probably the identical, or we haven’t obtained the knowledge on it but. however we attempt to be as up-to-date as we are able to.
With that out of the best way, let’s dive in.
Cores and threads
The 13900K has eight extra E-cores, however the identical variety of P-cores. As well as, eight of the 13900K’s 16 E-cores are hyperthreaded, giving the 13900K eight extra threads.
The next variety of CPU cores imply that your CPU can be higher at multitasking natively, that is additionally true for threads, though threads work a bit in a different way in comparison with CPU cores.
Threads are the identify given to the second instruction processed by the CPU core. Multithreading a CPU doesn’t essentially give it any extra {hardware}, it simply unlocks the power for the CPU core to course of two directions concurrently versus one.
Because of this the Threads should share assets with CPU cores and are barely slower consequently.
Core pace
The core pace has elevated massively between generations, the 13900K has elevated core speeds of 5.8 GHz and 4.3 GHz over the 12900K’s 5.1 GHz and three.9 GHz.
Core pace is an extremely necessary metric to contemplate when deciding on a CPU. Core pace or “core frequency” is the measurement of what number of instances a second the CPU can full a CPU cycle.
A CPU cycle consists of three principal actions, fetch, decode, and execute. And it’s these actions that essentially comprise computing as we all know it. The extra cycles the CPU can full in a second, the sooner the CPU can princess directions.
The core pace metric is especially impactful on gaming efficiency, as recreation efficiency often wagers extra on core pace somewhat than core depend.
Cache
The i9-13900K wins when it comes to CPU cache too, with an enormous 6MB extra cache to play with.
A CPU cache is constructed near CPU cores, this greatest serves entry speeds and effectivity. CPUs kind computations, each calculated and pending, CPU cache can be risky reminiscence like RAM, when it’s unpowered, it forgets all the pieces.
Cache in modern-day CPUs consists of three ranges that run in alphanumerical order from smallest to largest.
TDP
The rated default TDP of each the 13900K and the 12900k are the identical, however the increase TDP on the 13900K is barely increased at 253W in comparison with 241W
The Default TDP is outlined as the quantity of thermal vitality that the CPU produces on the base-defined speeds. The bott TDP is, you guessed it, the warmth vitality the CPU produces at max increase speeds.
Because the 13900K is barely extra, you’ll want a barely higher cooler to maintain the temperatures as secure as on the 12900K.
13900K vs 12900K: efficiency
We don’t have our palms on the Thirteenth-generation CPUs but, and even when we did we couldn’t inform you about it. However throughout Intel’s newest Innovation occasion in 2022. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger acknowledged that the Thirteenth technology CPUs have large efficiency enhancements over the twelfth gen CPUs. We will’t wait to bodily mark the Intel Core i9-13900K vs Core i9-12900K outcomes once we get our palms on the CPUs
Pat stated that the Raptor Lake CPUs could have a 15% higher single-core efficiency acquire and an enormous 42% efficiency acquire in multi-core benchmarks. That is all due to the 13900K’s eight additional E-cores, presumably.
The place to purchase Intel Thirteenth technology CPUs
Bought on the newest Intel Thirteenth technology CPUs? right here’s the place to purchase all the Thirteenth-generation CPU lineup!
Different helpful Intel hyperlinks
Closing phrase
So there you could have it, based mostly on specs alone it’s clear to see that the 13900K is the winner. Its superior core depend, thread depend, core pace, and cache imply it’s approach higher suited to gaming and multi-core workloads than the 12900K.
After all, there’s the query of value, which we should not have but. So we are able to’t remark however be sure to watch this house as we’ll replace you as quickly as we have now the newest data on the Thirteenth gen CPUs. We hope you loved our Intel Core i9-13900K vs Core i9-12900K article.