Whoops: Intel Self-Leaks the 13th Gen i5, i7, and i9 CPU Specifications

The Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 processors have been updated with more cores, although they don’t seem to have undergone much modification from the previous generation.

 

Intel unintentionally posted specifications for its forthcoming lineup of desktop CPUs on its Canadian website. The firm quickly removed the information, but for those who want to view the original version, the Internet Archive is here to help.

 

The Intel Core i5-13600K is capable of operating at a maximum frequency of 5.1 GHz while having 14 cores and 20 threads. While the i9-13900K boasts 24 cores, 32 threads, and a frequency of 5.4 GHz, the i7-13700K has 16 cores to 24 threads. You can push high GHz counts with Turbo Boost Max 3.0 or Thermal Velocity Boost, supposing you have the necessary power and cooling.

 

Although these figures aren’t particularly unexpected, they do support past revelations. Intel has promised that, in addition to the speeds seen below, it has also enhanced the L2 cache and L3 Intel Smart Cache on i5K processors and above. In previously leaked slides displayed on igor’sLAB, the 13th gen CPUs appeared to have scaled cores and threads compared to the 12th gen. Naturally, the new chipsets will support CPU PCIe 5.0 interfaces up to 16 lanes and continue to support DDR5 and DDR4 RAM, however they can now handle DDR5-5600 rather than the DDR5-4800 cap of the 12th generation. The previously exposed SKU chart presentation provides a clear overview of the situation.

 

There isn’t a significant advantage over the current 12th generation Alder Lake series, which made waves by providing DDR5 compatibility, beyond the eye-catching boasts of more cores and threads. With compatibility for PCIe Gen5 and Thunderbolt 4, Alder Lake was previously deemed to be quite future-proof in our own review of the 12th generation processors. These hybrid chips will be a huge ask for many consumers out there, especially given that any of the new mid-to-high end CPUs will cost between $280 and $590.

 

Naturally, AMD has also arrived at the corner and is already firing shots at Intel with its own impending Zen 4 CPU family, which will be available at the end of this month. In addition to supporting PCIe5 and DDR5, AMD claims that its 7000 series CPUs will enable boost frequencies of above 5 GHz to compete with Intel. We’re just working with pre-release information, so it’s difficult to compare their speeds to Intel CPUs solely based on core and clock rates. Pricing is crucial, with the most expensive Ryzen 9 7950X costing $699 at launch. A top-of-the-line Core i9-12900K costs nearly $100 less, so attention will be focused on Intel’s pricing strategy with Raptor Lake.

 

You’ll probably need to upgrade your motherboard to support this new slate of gaming-ready CPUs, so users will have an even bigger decision to make. AMD also won’t have a 7800X CPU at launch, Sept. 27, meaning that when it eventually puts out its mid-range CPU version, it’ll probably compete more with Intel’s 13th gen than it will with the 12th gen.

 

Although there is some justification for further future-proofing your computer hardware, we are still unsure of the cost or release date of the impending 13th generation processors. If you haven’t already chosen a 12th generation processor and you’re set on using Intel CPUs, that will, in my opinion, be the key determining factor as to whether there is any reason to delay upgrading. And if you’ve already spent a few hundred dollars on new chips, I very doubt that upgrading to the 13th generation would yield the kind of performance improvements that call for investing even more money right immediately.