Intel is greatly expanding its Raptor Lake desktop processor lineup. As announced during CES 2023, the CPU range will receive some new entries, and these upcoming processors prioritize efficiency by zoning in on performance-per-watt.
The list of upcoming processors is huge, including models ranging from the high-end Core i9-13900 to the budget Core i3-13100F. There are six T-series models coming up too. Here’s everything that Intel is preparing for desktop users.
Intel’s new CPUs will drastically increase the number of Raptor Lake chips available on the market. Much like the existing Raptor Lakes, such as the Core i9-13900K, these processors utilize the LGA1700 socket and are compatible with motherboards previously used for Alder Lake CPUs. All of them are unlocked, and they also support DDR5 and DDR4 RAM.
Coming up first we have the Core i9-13900 and the Core i9-13900F. The former is essentially a more power-efficient version of the flagship Core i9-13900K, while the latter is a cheaper version of the Core i9-13900 that doesn’t include integrated graphics.
Comparing the 13900 to the 13900K reveals just how much Intel is prioritizing energy efficiency. The company promises to deliver up to 34% better multi-threaded performance than the Core i9-12900 while using the same amount of power, and the specs show that it’s entirely possible.
The Core i9-13900 has a slightly lower maximum frequency (5.6GHz versus 5.8GHz on the performance cores and 4.2GHz versus 4.3GHz on the efficiency cores) than the Core i9-13900K. The base frequency takes a hit as well, with 2.0GHz on the P-cores and 1.5GHz on the E-cores.
However, the processor base power is considerably lower: the new CPU will only use 65 watts (base) or 219 watts (turbo), whereas the Core i9-13900K consumes 125W and 253W, respectively. The Core i9-13900 will arrive priced at $550 while the version without an iGPU will cost $525.
The same can be said of the other CPUs in the lineup — they’re more power-efficient and cheaper than the K and KF versions. Intel is also adding some Core i5 and Core i3 CPUs, including the Core i5-13500, Core i5-13400(F), and Core i3-13100(F). We can easily see the Core i3-13100 becoming a hit when it comes to budget processors, seeing as it will only cost $134.
As mentioned above, Intel is also serving up six ultra-efficient T-series CPUs that really take the power consumption down a few notches. The lineup includes the Core i9-13900T, Core i7-13700T, Core i5-13600T, Core i5-13500T, Core i5-13400T, and lastly, the Core i3-13100T. All of the CPUs come unlocked and they each have an integrated GPU.
Intel’s Core i9-13900T, the top chip in this lineup, delivers a maximum clock speed of 5.3GHz. The base frequency is kept very low for both the E-cores and the P-cores, rated at 1.1GHz and 0.8GHz, respectively.
The CPU still retains the 24-core (8+16) and 32-thread configuration of the Core i9-13900K, but the energy efficiency is much, much better — the 13900T only has a base power of 35W that maxes out at 106W in turbo mode. The Core i7-13700T has the same power consumption, but lower clock speeds and fewer cores.
All six of the CPUs in the Raptor Lake T-series are cheaper and more efficient than their K-series counterparts. If you’re planning to build a PC that won’t consume too much power, they might be worth looking into — we’ve definitely got some strong contenders for our ranking of the best Intel processors.
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