Summary
One of the most impressive processors that can be purchased is the Core i9-13900K from Intel. The monster with 24 cores is capable of quickly tearing through productive duties, and it is without a doubt one of the fastest gaming central processing units that money can buy. Even though there is a great deal of power lurking behind the hood, it is not the best option for everyone.
In lieu of the Intel Core i9-13900K
There is a price that must be paid for unparalleled power, and with the Core i9-13900K, that price in the form of heat and power demand is the price that must be paid. In addition, Intel’s high-end central processing units (CPUs), such as the Core i9-13900K, have been experiencing a recent wave of instability, which has made alternatives somewhat more appealing.
While you should keep the Core i9-13900K on your shortlist, there are a number of additional central processing units (CPUs) that you should take into consideration when upgrading your gaming computer. This is a selection of some of our choices.
Is it an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D?
Despite the fact that the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is not even close to being able to compete with the Core i9-13900K when it comes to productivity tasks, AMD’s processor is much superior when it comes to its gaming process. However, the remarkable 3D V-Cache technology developed by AMD is what really shines out. The Zen 4 cores, which are just eight in number, are fast enough for high-end gaming. It provides a performance that is significantly enhanced in some games, such as Far Cry 6, for example.
This is the central processing unit (CPU) that you should get if gaming is your primary interest. Despite the fact that the additional cache does not apply to all games or even the majority of games, you will be grateful for the speed gain when it does appear. Behind the cache, you are still receiving a fantastic central processing unit (CPU) for gaming that is capable of competing with the Core i9-13900K. Our research revealed that the Core i9-13900K is around ten percent slower than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D while operating at 1080p resolution.
To add insult to injury, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is more affordable. At the time of this writing, the Core i9-13900K can be purchased for around $500, while the chip manufactured by AMD can be purchased for approximately $400, and in certain cases even less. Taking into consideration the reduced power requirements, the packaging that is normally cooler, and the AM5 platform, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D certainly seems to be an excellent offer for gamers.
This is only true if you play the majority of your games on your own computer. It has been said that the Core i9-13900K is a total monster when it comes to productivity work, and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D can sometimes only reach half of the heights that Intel can achieve with its flagship central processing unit. Above everything else, its central processing unit is designed for gamers.
A Core i9-12900K from Intel?
Although the Core i9-12900K and Core i9-13900K use the same socket and chipset, the 13th-generation component is much quicker than the 12th-generation component. According to the results of our tests, the Core i9-13900K offers a single-core advantage of around 13% and a multi-core advantage of over 47%. Although it is a compelling case in favor of the Core i9-13900K, the 12th-generation central processing unit (CPU) still has a place in the market.
Due to the fact that the Core i9-12900K is rather old, it is now available for a price that is quite low. As of the time this article was written, it can be purchased for less than $300, and this is the price that you will typically see it going for. It is not unusual to find the previous flagship and a high-end motherboard for about $450. This is because retailers sometimes package the central processing unit (CPU) with a motherboard for a cheap price in order to clear the shelves while also selling the CPU.
Although it is obvious that the Core i9-13900K has a performance advantage, the margin between the two is not usually that great. For instance, the Core i9-12900K is twenty percent behind the 13th-generation central processing unit (CPU) in Photoshop, while this difference narrows to just ten percent in Premiere Pro. When it comes to video games, the difference is often just a few frames, which is a performance gap that vanishes as you go up to higher resolutions.
Even if it is not quite as quick as the more recent alternatives from Intel, the Core i9-12900K is still a fantastic central processing unit in 2024. The good news is that it is incredibly affordable, and it has managed to avoid the stability concerns that have been associated with Intel’s most recent central processing units. In addition to this, it utilizes the same socket as Intel’s 13th-generation and 14th-generation components, which means that you will be able to upgrade to a central processing unit (CPU) such as the Core i9-14900K in the future.
A Core i7-13700K from Intel?
It would seem to be evident that the Core i7-13700K is an alternative to the Core i9-13900K as a less powerful and more affordable brother, yet this is an understatement of how strong Intel’s i7 really is. Eight performance cores (P) and eight efficiency cores (E) are included in the 16-core central processing unit (CPU). Additionally, the Core i9-13900K is equipped with sixteen E-cores in addition to eight P-cores. The fact that both central processing units have eight P-cores is the critical factor.Some applications are able to make use of the enormous core array that is available on the i9 CPU, but the Core i7-13700K is sufficient for the majority of applications to function without any problems. In applications like Premiere Pro and After Effects, for instance, the Core i7-13700K achieves the same performance as the more costly i9 option. And when it comes to video games, the two central processing units are almost indistinguishable from one another.
With the Core i7-13700K, you are able to get the majority of the performance, but at a much lower cost. When compared to the Core i9-13900K, the price of the central processing unit (CPU) is around $340, which is a savings of close to $150. The difference in cost increases to $200 if you choose the Core i7-13700KF, which is the identical central processing unit but does not come with integrated graphics.
If you are in the market for a central processing unit (CPU) at the moment, the Core i7-13700K does not seem to be impacted by the recent instability that has been seen in Intel’s higher-end alternatives. Despite the fact that the Core i7 series is not particularly well-liked due to its uncomfortable location, the Core i7-13700K presents a compelling case for purchasing one of Intel’s central processing units (CPUs) that fall into this category.
a Ryzen 9 7950X from AMD?
AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X is the company’s direct competitor to the Core i9-13900K. The sixteen-core central processing unit is an incredible monster in almost every application, and it may compete with the Core i9-13900K depending on the job that you will be analyzing. We discovered that the two central processing units (CPUs) were comparable in terms of their multi-core performance in Geekbench 5, despite the fact that the Core i9-13900K had a raw core advantage.
This translates into actual applications as well. When it came to handbrake, the Ryzen 9 7950X was able to finish a transcode in the same amount of time as the Core i9-13900K. When it came to Premiere Pro, it was within less than one percent of the CPU that Intel had. The Ryzen 9 7950X, on the other hand, can truly shine when it comes to gaming. If gaming is your major concern, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still the superior option, but the Ryzen 9 7950X was able to outperform Intel’s central processing unit in Red Dead Redemption 2, Far Cry 6, and Cyberpunk 2077 thanks to its superior performance.
One of the most significant drawbacks of the Ryzen 9 7950X is its pricing. It is still more costly than the Core i9-13900K by around $50 to $70, while having performance that is substantially comparable to that of the Core i9-13900K. Nevertheless, it is also based on the AM5 platform used by AMD. When it comes time to upgrade, you will be required to switch to a different platform if you purchase the CPU at this time since Intel has finished developing the LGA 1700 socket. The AMD company has said that it will continue to support AM5 until 2025 and beyond, which will prepare you for a future upgrade from the Ryzen 9 7950X.
