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The Core i9-12900K and Core i7-13700K are two of the most popular CPUs from Intel. The former is a 12th Gen processor while the latter is a 13th Gen chip, so there's a significant difference between the two CPUs' architectural differences, clock speeds, and more. They are also priced closer to one another due to the recent price cuts. So, which is the best CPU out of the two?
In this article, we will go through a detailed comparison of the Core i9-12900K and Core i7-13700K processors to determine the best CPU out of the two.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinions.
Intel Core i9-12900K vs Core i7-13700K
The Intel Core i9-12900K and Core i7-13700K are two different classes of beasts. At first glance, you may think the Core i9 is the best. After all, it's a Core i9, but you would be dead wrong if you think the i9 moniker makes it the best, and you will see why in the specs sheet.
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Specs comparison
The Core i9-12900K is based on the Alder Lake architecture, while the Core i7-13700K is designed on the Raptor Lake. Here is the specs comparison table for the two CPUs:
As you can see, the difference between the two CPUs lies in the clock speeds, cache size, RAM speeds, and maximum RAM capacity. The RAM speeds significantly affect how fast the 13th Gen processor runs.
We did a comparison between DDR5 4800 vs 5200 vs 6000 MT/s RAM speeds, and it also features the DDR5-5600. If you read that, you will understand exactly how much of a difference the faster speeds can make.
Synthetic benchmarks
It's time to put the specs away and compare the two CPUs with popular benchmarking tools, including Cinebench, Geekbench, Blender, and more. Here's how the two CPUs compare:
As you can see, the Core i7-13700k beats the Core i9-12900K in every single benchmark. A 13th Gen Core i7 processor beats the 12th Gen Core i9, which teaches a beautiful lesson that you should never buy a CPU reading the i7 or i9 moniker. That's why we believe in comparing the real-world performance of processors to get a better understanding.
On average, the Intel Core i7-13700K is around 7.3% faster in single-core benchmarks and about 10.8% faster in multi-core benchmarks compared to the Core i9-12900K CPU. This is a decent lead for the 13th Gen processor, but will this lead continue in gaming benchmarks? Let's find out.
Gaming performance benchmarks
The two CPUs will be pitted against each other in popular games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and more. All the FPS numbers were provided by the FNOS BenchMark channel on YouTube.
Note: The test was run at 1080p resolution at the highest settings with the RTX 4080 GPU.
On average, the Intel Core i7-13700K delivers 7.9% more FPS than the Core i9-12900K. You can expect a similar performance boost in the Raptor Lake CPU on other games as well.
Price
The Intel Core i9-12900K currently costs $297, while the Core i7-13700K costs $329. The 13th Gen CPU costs 10.7% more but also delivers around 10.8% faster performance in productivity and 7.9% higher FPS in gaming.
Which is the best gaming CPU?
The Intel Core i7-13700K is the best gaming processor out of the two. It delivers better performance than the i9-12900K in both productivity and gaming for a slightly higher price. The higher clock speeds and faster RAM speeds of the 13th-generation processor helped it secure the win.
