Intel unleashing the raptors: Core i9 13900k flagship will have 24 cores (8+16), 5.5 GHz all P-core turbo and ‘A780h’ integrated GPU
Intel is preparing a total of 14 SKUs for this launch. Firstly you have the six vanilla SKUs: Core i9 13900k, Core i7 13700K, Core i5 13600k, Core i9 13900, Core i7 13700 and Core i5 13400. Five of these SKUs feature integrated graphics with the device ID of A780h which has 32 EUs and clock speeds ranging between 1.6 GHz to 1.55 GHz. Intel is providing the ability to overclock the integrated GPU for the K series CPUs. The Core i5 13400 is the only CPU in this batch that has a different integrated GPU with a device ID of A782h and a cut down engine of 24 EUs and a clock speed of 1.55 GHz. This lineup ranges between a TDP of 125W for the K-series and 65W for the non-K series (although the burst wattage will be significantly higher than 125W unless capped) and feature clock configurations of 24 cores through 10 cores. The flagship Core i9 13900K has 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores while the Core i5 13400 has 6 P-cores and 4 E-cores. 5 out of 6 of the CPUs in this lineup support DDR4 memory up to 3200 MHz and DDR5 up to 5600 MHz. The Core i3 only supports DDR5 up to 4800 MHz. Of course IMC OC is supported so you can use memory with much higher clock speeds for all of these. The Core i9 13900K has a cache size of 36 MB while the Core i5 13400 has a cache size of 20 MB. The socket is LGA1700 and ECC support is present for all SKUs except the Core i7 13700 and the Core i5 13400. The exact core breakdowns with clock speed tiers are given in the table below. Up next we have the KF and F series CPUs which do not contain an integrated GPU (and will therefore be slightly cheaper in price). All F series SKUs are basically identical to their non-F counterparts except for the removal of the iGPU and the removal of ECC support. Lastly we have the T-series CPUs which are Intel’s low power variety. The Core i9 13900T and Core i7 13700T have a base TDP of just 35W and are designed for enterprise applications. This is why both have ECC support and an iGPU. The clock speeds are slightly more conservative due to the decreased TDP and GPU OC support is not present. Interestingly the iGPU is clocked at 1.6 GHz for both SKUs and adaptive boost is present in the Core i9 13900T. Initial performance testing reveals Intel has a winning product on their hands with an absolute beast of a CPU that should take the performance crown this generation. However, just like last gen, the TDP numbers can be misleading as the burst wattage will be significantly higher than stated. The flagship CPU can easily have bursts of up to twice that of the base TDP before calming down to PL1. We are also expecting extremely competitive pricing from Intel as AMD will also be launching its 7th generation Ryzen CPUs in roughly the same time period. So whichever camp you are in, this would represent a great time to upgrade if you have been holding out.