13600K vs 13700K: which Intel chip is best for you?

13600K vs 13700K: putting Intel's midrange and mainstream chips to the test

When it comes to desktop processors, the choice between the Intel 13600K vs 13700K is a genuinely tough one, given how both these chips do what they were designed to do very well.

Not only are these two of the best Intel processors on the market, they're two of the best processors ever, full stop.

The Intel Core i5-13600K offers solid performance when it comes to productivity and everyday tasks like video streaming, web browsing, and even some pretty intense gaming—all for a very accessible price for such an advanced piece of technology.

The Intel Core i7-13700K, meanwhile, is the workhorse of the Intel Raptor Lake lineup, putting its head down and getting to work by providing absolutely fantastic performance across every major workload you can throw at it without breaking much of a sweat. 

Both these chips have their benefits and disadvantages, though, so finding the best computer processor for your needs and budget is a task you shouldn't take lightly. Fortunately, I've put both of these chips through extensive testing recently using the most up to date PC firmware and benchmarking tools and I'm here to lay out the raw numbers for you so you can make the most well-informed purchase possible.

An Intel Core i5-13600K

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

13600K vs 13700K: Price

In terms of price, the 13600K vs 13700K are slightly unmatched given that these are two different classes of computer processor. The Core i5-13600K has an MSRP of $319 / £299.99 / AU$499, which is about 10% more expensive than its predecessor, the Intel Core i5-12600K.

The Intel Core i7-13700K, meanwhile, has an MSRP of $419 / £399 / AU$669, which makes it slightly (about 2.5%) more expensive than its predecessor, the Intel Core i7-12700K, and about 30% more expensive than the 13600K.

As for which chip offers the better value, I'll go into more detail in the performance section to come, but I can tell you now that the 13600K's best selling point is that it offers the best performance for the price of any of Intel's 13th-generation mainstream processors, so by any measure, the Core i5-13600K wins this round.

  • Winner: Intel Core i5-13600K

13600K vs 13700K: Specs

An Intel Core i5-13600K

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

As for the differences in specs between the 13600K vs 13700K, the difference between the two chips isn't as wide as it is between the 13900K vs 13700K, but it's still enough to make it a real choice between whether you want better performance or a cheaper price.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
SpecsIntel Core i5-13600KIntel Core i7-13700K
Price$319 / £299.99 / AU$499$419 / £399 / AU$669
Performance Cores68
Efficiency Cores88
Threads2024
Integrated GraphicsYesYes
P-Core Base Clock3.5 GHz3.4 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock5.1 GHz5.4 GHz
E-Core Base Clock2.6 GHz2.5 GHz
E-Core Boost Clock3.9 GHz4.2 GHz
L3 Cache24MB30MB
TDP125W125W
SocketLGA 1700LGA 1700
Max Temp100100
  • Winner: Intel Core i7-13700K

An Intel Core i7-13700K inserted into a motherboard

(Image credit: Future/John Loeffler)

13600K vs 13700K: Performance

When it comes to performance, the i7-13700K is an absolute workhorse of a CPU, and the i5-13600K does an admirable job, but ultimately can't keep up with the higher-tier processor, as one would expect.

In our synthetic benchmarks test, the 13700K outperforms the 13600K by about 6% in single-core performance, which admittedly isn't all that much. 

When it comes to multi core performance though, the 13700K pulls about 22% better performance on average, thanks in no small part to the two additional performance cores and faster overall clock speeds.

For productivity tasks, the i7-13700K is again the winner, but not by a whole lot. It outperformed the 13600K by about 7% overall, which makes sense since most productivity apps are single-core-dependent, so you won't see that much of a gain in any one app, though multitasking between several apps will obviously be much easier with the 13700K.