Intel Core i5-13600 vs Intel Core i9-12900KF

Processor comparisons   12-11-2022
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-13600 vs Intel Core i9-12900KF and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming, rendering. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, 3DMark, SuperPi, Blender, WPrime, MATLAB, Gears 5, Blender, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, 7zip, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, Prime95.
   And how good the processors are in games:

DOOM: Eternal
Valheim
Death Stranding
Rainbow Six Siege
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Fortnite
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Grand Theft Auto V
Cyberpunk 2077
Borderlands 3
Valorant
Overwatch
Apex Legends
Watch Dogs Legion
Last Man Standing
Red Dead Redemption 2
Fallout 76
Halo Infinite

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900KF or Intel Core i5-13600.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-13600

63%

Core i9-12900KF

66%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900KF is 4% better than Core i5-13600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-13600

59%

Core i9-12900KF

61%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.2	108.9
Valorant	118.4	123.8
Cyberpunk 2077	66.3	69.3
Apex Legends	111.3	116.4
Call of Duty Warzone	88.8	92.8
Overwatch	95.9	100.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	81.7	85.4
DOOM Eternal	59.2	61.9
Warzone	92.3	96.5
Assassin's Creed	99.5	104.0
Valheim	98.3	102.7

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-13600

100%

Core i9-12900KF

52%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-13600 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900KF since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-13600	Intel Core i9-12900KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	383	474
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3979	4996
Cinbench 20 Single-core	637	792
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	8839	11107
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2241	2809
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	25423	31962

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-13600	Intel Core i9-12900KF
Single-Core	2048	7320
Multi-Core	43328	54642

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-13600	Intel Core i9-12900KF
Single-Core	1965	1967
Multi-Core	15871	20514

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-13600	Intel Core i9-12900KF
Announcement date	December 10, 2022	July 21, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1700
Core name	Adler Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	13	12
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	5.2 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	14	16
Threads	20	24
Bus rate	16 GT/s	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	14200 millions	12600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	125 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6500	6400
Memory bandwidth	89.6 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB	2 MB
L2 cache	12 MB	14 MB
L3 cache	24 MB	30 MB
Overclocking	y	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-12900KF is 10% better than Core i5-13600 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KF has 2 more core than Core i5-13600. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-13600 is better: 7
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900KF is better: 27
However, it should be realized that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-13600 and Intel Core i9-12900KF before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-13600 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-13600 specs and review.

Intel Core i9-12900KF - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i9-12900KF specs and review.