Intel Core i5-13600K Review

1. Introducing Intel Core i5-13600K2. Performance Testing - Set-up and Cinebench R233. Performance: Blender, HandBrake and 7-Zip4. Gaming - Borderlands 3, Far Cry 6, Hitman 35. Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Watch Dogs: Legion6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

In our launch review of Intel's mighty Core i9-13900K we covered the background to Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake and showed the mighty performance of the new Core i9, along with the unfortunately high power draw. Now it is time for the much cheaper Core i5-13600K to step into the limelight and take the fight to AMD Zen 4 Ryzen 7000.

Timestamps

00:00 Start
00:35 Introduction
01:24 12600k/13600k pricing and info
02:10 Test System
03:04 BIOS / Blender / Overclocking
04:44 Performance / Temps / Power
07:08 Gaming Results
08:16 Core/Thread Discussion / Leos Closing thoughts

Main features

• Intel is driving next level performance with Raptor Lake
• Increased processor core count – Up to 24 (8P+16E) processor cores with up to 32 threads
• Improved P-core performance
• Increased Intel Smart Cache (L3) and L2 cache on Intel Core i5 Desktop processors and above
• Extended performance hybrid architecture2 to all Intel Core i5 Desktop processors and above
• Up to 32GB DDR5-5600 memory, up to 64GB DDR5-5200 memory and up to 128GB DDR5-3600 memory
• 16 lanes of CPU PCIe Gen 5.0; Up to 20 lanes of PCH PCIe* Gen 4.0
• Integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6E support
• Four simultaneous 4K displays, media and graphics features
• Core & memory overclocking
• Processor compatibility with Intel 600 and 700 Series chipset-based motherboards
• Intel Deep Learning Boost (VNNI) and Intel Gaussian & Neural Accelerator (GNA) 3.0 support
• Security Feature Enhancements targeting Business Computing

Specification:

• P-Core Base Frequency: 3.5GHz
• E-Core Base Frequency: 2.6GHz
• Socket: LGA1700
• Intel Smart L3 Cache: 24MB
• L2 Cache: 20MB
• Processor Cores: 14 (6P + 8E)
• Processor Threads: 32
• Memory Support: DDR4 3600MHz & DDR5 5200-6000MHz
• Intel Thermal Velocity Boost Frequency: 5.8GHz
• Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency: 5.7GHz
• P-Core Max Turbo Frequency: 5.1GHz
• E-Core Max Turbo Frequency: 3.9GHz
• CPU PCIe Lanes:20
• Unlocked: YES
• Chipset: Intel 600 & 700 Series Compatible
• Intel UHD 770 Graphics
• Base Power: 125W
• Maximum Power: 181W
• Intel SIPP
• Intel vPRO
• Warranty: 3yr

Performance Testing

We shan't waste your time with waffle and blah but instead will dive straight in to the performance testing.

Test System:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-13600K (14 cores/20 threads)
• CPU Cooler: Corsair H150i Elite LCD
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BIOS 0604
• Memory: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: Gigabyte Radeon RX 6950 XT Gaming OC 16GB
• Power supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1600W Titanium
• SSD: 500GB Sabrent Rocket 4.0 M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11

Cinebench R23 Multi Core

In Cinebench R23 Multi Core we see the Core i5-13600K performing very well at default settings. You can add an extra six percent performance with a simple overclock to 5.3GHz. The truly impressive thing is that capping the power at 115W barely affects performance as the new Core i5 leaves both the old i5-12600K and the new Ryzen 5 7600X trailing behind.

Cinebench R23 Power and Clock Speeds

Part of the explanation for this increased performance is the higher power that is fed to the CPU. This helps boost clock speeds however the architecture of the new Raptor Cove P-Cores clearly also plays its part.

Cinebench R23 CPU Temperature

In Cinebench R23 CPU we were perfectly happy with the temperatures we saw however this is a combination of the cooler, Vcore, power limit and clock speed. If your motherboard manufacturer uses brute force in the BIOS settings you could easily raise the CPU temperature  by 10-15 degrees Celsius so a degree of finesse is required.

Cinebench R23 Single Core

In Cinebench R23 Single Core the scores are decent at 5.1GHz and slightly better at 5.3GHz, however they fall a distance behind the Core i9-13900K which can operate up to 5.8GHz.

Blender v3 Classroom Render

In Blender v3 the new Core i5 beats the the new AMD Zen 4 Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7, which seems remarkable.

HandBrake H.264 conversion

In HandBrake H.264 conversion we again see the Core i5 beating the new Ryzen 7 and also taking the fight to the Zen 3 models of Ryzen 9. Ulp.

HandBrake H.265 conversion

HandBrake H.265 conversion continues to show the Core i5-13600K in a superb light and performing far better than our expectations.

7-Zip Benchmark

In 7-Zip the scores for Core i5 are clustered together in the middle of the chart, just above 12th Gen Core i7 and just below the new Ryzen 7.

Borderlands 3 at 1080p

Borderlands 3 at 1080p runs very nicely on the Core i5-13600K, regardless of the power settings.

Far Cry 6 at 1080p

In Far Cry 6 at 1080p we see a small improvement in the frame rates as clock speeds increase but even at 115W this CPU flies along.

Hitman 3 at 1080p

Hitman 3 at 1080p is amazing on the Core i5 with frame rates that come close to the new Core i9. Wow.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p

Firing up the elderly  Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p is interesting as the new Core i5 can directly compete with the Core i9-12900K and is hard on the heels of Zen 3 Ryzen 9.

Watch Dogs: Legion at 1080p

Watch Dogs: Legion at 1080p isn't great on the new Core i5 however we still see frame rates that provide a a superb gaming experience.

We were deeply impressed by the 12th Gen Alder Lake Core i5-12600K and have been eagerly anticipating the Raptor Lake Core i5-13600K.

This feeling was reinforced when we reviewed the mighty Core i9-13900K which is a huge improvement over the previous Core i9-12900K. That can be a tricky frame of mind when you start a review as it means the Core i5-13600K might very easily have disappointed by merely being very good when we were hoping for absolutely stunning.

Happily we are able to report the Core i5-13600K is indeed pretty darn special and has surpassed our expectations.

The performance of Core i5-13600K is undeniable although the power draw has edged up from 120W with Core i5-12600K to 150W+. In essence this CPU performs more like a Core i7 than a regular Core i5 and it requires more power to deliver that performance.

We found the behaviour of the Core i5 on our Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero was very good indeed and the Vcore was under 1.20V on Auto. When you factor in our chosen Corsair H150i Elite cooler the result is very modest CPU temperatures. Balanced against that we hear reports that some motherboards shove in higher Vcore and that can make a dramatic difference to your CPU temperature, particularly if you use a cooler that is borderline.

Our other complaint is pricing as it doesn't seem right that Core i5 should be pushing close to £400 however this seems to be the way of the world so we have to hope things will improve over the coming months.

You can buy the Intel Core i5-13600K for £374.99 from Overclockers UK HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

• Stunning performance.
• Simple overclocking with Intel XTU.
• Can be used with a budget DDR4 motherboard.

Cons:

• Here in the UK the new Core i5 is expensive.
• Overclocking doesn’t add as much extra performance as we hoped.
• Power draw looks more like Core i7 than Core i5.

KitGuru says: Core i5-13600K is a damn serious processor.

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