Conclusion

The Intel Core i9 13900K with its eight P cores, sixteen E cores, a total of 32 threads, higher clock speeds, and a large L2 cache certainly paid off. From where we stand and based on some other reviews that included the AMD 7000 series, this looks to be the fastest gaming CPU. It was faster overall than last year's 12900K alder lake flagship.

We are in the process of getting a Z790 motherboard that will let us overclock a bit better, and we want to continue testing the Core i5 13600K and compare it with the predecessors. The plan is to include AMD scores, too, in the rematch.

Raptor Lake and P and E core strategy paid off. Intel gained incredibly across all the tests we tried, especially games, which is what matters. If you are looking for a new CPU and gaming, productivity pinnacle, the Core i9 13900K is the best desktop CPU for the moment.