Intel's 13th Generation "Raptor Lake" CPUs bring new levels of performance to your desktop, taking both the gaming and application performance crowns and outperforming AMD's pricier Ryzen 7000 series while actually costing significantly less. And when you combine the exorbitant price of the motherboards and memory you need for AMD ($290 and up), Intel looks like an even better value for your money.
In our review of the Intel Core i9-13900K and Core i5-13600K, we noted that the former chip hit a full 155 fps on our 1440p gaming suite, the highest we've measured and miles ahead of any AMD Ryzen chips. What's surprising is that the Core i5-13600K and Core i7-13700K were only a few fps behind and beat every top-of-the-line AMD chip. We were also able to overclock the Core i5 and i9 models to a blistering 5.6 GHz, a record for us with watercooled systems.
The first three Raptor Lake chips have just launched in the Intel Core i9-13900K, Core i7-13700K and Core i5-13600K. There are also KF versions (ex: 13900KF) that cost a few dollars less and omit the integrated graphics. Because these chips are brand new, not every store will have them in stock or even have them listed yet. To help you purchase, we've browsed the top online retailers in the U.S. to check their stock and pricing.
Intel Core i9-13900K: Where to Buy
| Retailer | Model | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Core i9-13900KF | $743 | In Stock |
| B&H | Core i9-13900KF | $629 | Pre Order |
| B&H | Core i9-13900K | $659 | Pre Order |
| Newegg | Core i9-13900K | $659 | Back Ordered |
| Newegg | Core i9-13900KF | $629 | Sold Out |
| Best Buy | Core i9-13900K | $689 | Sold Out |
| Best Buy | Core i9-13900KF | $659 | Sold Out |
| eBay | Core i9-13900K | $797 | In Stock (maybe) |
Intel's top-of-the-line CPU, the Core i9-13900K / KF, sports 24 cores and 32 threads with a maximum boost clock of 5.8 GHz on its 8 performance cores. At press time, the Core i9-13900K and 13900KF were both selling for way above their $589 / $564 MSRPs and were not readily available at most of the major retailers.
It's important to note the difference between "sold out," "back-ordered" and "pre-order." Both back-ordered and pre-order products can be bought today, but won't ship until the merchant receives stock.
Intel Core i5-13600K: Where to Buy
Like its immediate predecessor, the Core i5-12600K, the Core i5-13600K is the best value in Intel's stack. For an MSRP of $319 / $294 (for the K and KF models), the Core i5-13600K provides 14 cores (6P + 8E) and 20 threads, along with a boost clock of 5.1 GHz. We had no issue overclocking this chip to 5.6 GHz on all of its high-performance cores, and we've heard that even 5.7 GHz is common.
Fortunately, all the major retailers have both the KF and K varieties available. The best price is $309 for the KF, which you can grab at Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, or B&H. However, you'll note that the $309 is still higher than the $294 KF MSRP, while the $329 price for the 13600K is $10 more than its MSRP.
Intel Core i7-13700K: Where to Buy
If you want a few more threads than you get from the Core i5-13600K but can't afford the expensive and hard-to-get Core i9-13900K/F, the Core i7-13700K might be for you. This chip carries an MSRP of $409 / $384 for the K and KF versions while sporting 16 cores (8P + 8E cores) and 24 threads. Its stock boost clock maxes out at 5.4 GHz.
While it's easy to find the Core i7-13700K in stock, it's a bit higher than the MSRP. The best deal is at Amazon, which has the Core i7-13700KF for just $418.However, if you want the version with integrated graphics, your best bet is B&H, which has it on preorder for $439.
Which Raptor Lake Processor Should I Get?
Below we've got at able comparing the three CPUs. As you pay more, you get more cores, higher boost clocks and more cache. However, all of the Raptor Lake CPUs support DDR4 or DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0 SSDs.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | MSRP | 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 |
As you can see in the chart below, all of the chips delivered AMD-beating frame rates at 1440p. We were also able to overclock them up to 5.5 or 5.6 GHz without breaking a sweat.
Ultimately, the CPU you choose should be based on your budget and how many threads you think you need. Because for gaming and lightly-threaded apps, you get almost as strong performance from the Core i5 chip as the Core i9.
Also, keep in mind that you'll need a motherboard for your Raptor Lake chip. The good news is that all of these CPUs use Intel's Socket 1170 to connect so they are fully compatible with its older and cheaper 600 series motherboards. See our list of the best motherboards to help you choose.
