Core i5-13600KF vs Core i9-12900KF

General info

Comparing Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	159	178
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Value for money	54.57	56.81
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i9	Intel Core i5
Architecture codename	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont
Release date	4 November 2021 (2 years ago)	27 September 2022 (1 year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$564	$294
Current price	$475 (0.8x MSRP)	$405 (1.4x MSRP)

Value for money

Performance per price, higher is better.

i5-13600KF has 4% better value for money than i9-12900KF.

Technical specs

Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	16 (Hexadeca-Core)	14 (Tetradeca-Core)
Threads	24	20
Base clock speed	3.2 GHz	3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	5.2 GHz	5.1 GHz
Bus support	8 × 16 GT/s	4 × 16 GT/s
L1 cache	80K (per core)	80K (per core)
L2 cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
L3 cache	30 MB (shared)	24 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	215.25 mm220.5 mm × 10.5 mm	257 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	72 °C
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	+
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	125 Watt	125 W, 181 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data
Status	Launched	Launched

Security technologies

Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	+
OS Guard	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	128 GB	192 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	89.6 GB/s

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF.

PCIe version	5.0 and 4.0	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	20	20

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

Core i9-12900KF outperforms Core i5-13600KF by 9% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Advantages and disadvantages

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Performance score	26.62	24.50
Recency	4 November 2021	27 September 2022
Physical cores	16	14
Threads	24	20
Cost	$564	$294

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-12900KF and Core i5-13600KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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