Intel Core i5-13600K

Overview

As we expected, the Core i5-13600K is a much more practical and better value CPU than not just the 13900K, but also the 13700K, particularly when focusing on gaming. As enticing as the AM5 platform is, if we were building a new PC today, for either gaming or work, we'd be going with the Core i5-13600K, it's the obvious choice, just as the 12600K was when we reviewed it back in late 2021.

-- As reviewed by TechnicalSides

TechnicalSides Metascore

Based on 6 expert reviews

Excellent:

6
Good:

0
Average:

0
Bad:

0

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Last revision on January 2, 2023

Reviewers Liked

Stunning performance
Can be used with a budget DDR4 motherboard
Cheaper 600-series platform available
Integrated graphics
Support for PCI-Express 5.0

Reviewers Didn't Like

Overclocking doesn't add as much extra performance as we hoped
Power draw looks more like Core i7 than Core i5
Hotter and hungrier than the Core i5 12600K
CPU cooler not included

Direct Competitors and Related Products

Our editors hand-pick these products using a variety of criteria: they can be direct competitors targeting the same market segment or can be similar devices in terms of size, performance, or features.

Expert reviews and ratings

By TechnicalSides on October 25, 2022 90

By PCMag on November 09, 2022 90

Intel's Core i5-13600K is pricier, power-hungrier, and hotter-running than its predecessor, but it's hard to argue with the raw performance this CPU gives you for the money, especially for PC gamers.

By Tom's Hardware on October 31, 2022 90

The Core i5-13600K is the hands-down winner for mainstream gamers, while the Core i9-13900K is the fastest gaming chip on the market but is overshadowed by the 13700K. Both chips offer leading gaming and productivity performance at their respective price points.

By KitGuru on October 25, 2022 90

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.

By TechPowerUp on October 20, 2022 90

On Raptor Lake, adding Gen 5 M.2 means stealing some PCIe lanes from the graphics card, so when installing an SSD in the M.2 Gen 5 slot of your motherboard, your graphics card will run at PCIe x8 instead of PCIe x16 (without an SSD in that slot, the GPU will run at full x16). This makes little real-life difference, but it feels like Intel didn't properly budget their PCIe 5.0 lanes in the CPU, unlike AMD who offers this capability and still gives you x16 on the graphics card.

By PCGamer on October 20, 2022 96

The Core i5 13600K deserves to be at the heart of your next gaming PC build.

By Tom's Hardware on October 20, 2022

Meanwhile, despite a $30 price increase, the Core i5-13600K is equally impressive with class-leading performance at its price point, slotting in as the best value chip for gaming. It also happens to be a great all-rounder and a fun overclocker, too.

Intel Core i5-13600K

Overview

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Price: $318

TechnicalSides Metascore

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Direct Competitors and Related Products

Intel Core i7-13700K

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

Intel Core i9-13900K

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X

Expert reviews and ratings