It's a strong chip, offering impressive performance and efficiency for its price range.
It's a strong chip, offering impressive performance and efficiency for its price range.
Sorry to interrupt everyone. I was originally discussing CPUs a few months ago. Over time, I mentioned planning an upgrade to a 5800X3D... but not yet. Recently, I completed a job for a colleague where I upgraded his motherboard, CPU, and cooler. His rig used DDR4 so he could reuse his existing RAM. This particular CPU impressed me—remarkable performance for games and productivity. It has 14 cores, 6 P cores, 8 E cores, and supports up to 20 threads at 5.1 GHz boost. It runs well even at low temperatures despite high power consumption. It definitely feels like the ideal balance in Intel’s current lineup. The cooling solution I’m considering is the Noctua NH-U12A, which should handle it comfortably. This CPU is also compatible with air cooling and leaves room for modest overclocking. I’m planning to install a 13600K CPU, a Z790 motherboard, and DDR5-6000 at 36GB RAM. Does this sound like the right direction? I’m already thinking about pushing the CPU further for extra performance.
Choosing an i9-13900K/KS comes with drawbacks because of high power usage and minimal performance boosts. You'll also need robust cooling to manage it effectively. The 13600K seems like a top mid-range/high-end option from Intel right now. A 12600K would still work well if you stick with Intel, but AMD's 7600/7700 lineup is worth considering as well.
They're debating pricing with the 13700K, but the 13700K is essentially the same price when discounted, while the extra two P cores offer significant multicore benefits. In general, without any promotions, the 13600K tends to be the top choice in their range. That's accurate. I could opt for quicker RAM since those tend to improve with higher memory speeds, and a 6000 CL36 is near the sweet spot—saving money by swapping to a 5600 CL36 and boosting it to 6000 CL36 if you're comfortable doing some overclocking, or you might find a 6400 CL32 kit for slightly less. But honestly, a 13600K (F), similar to a Z790 UD AC, paired with a 2x16GB 6400 CL32 would be ideal.
The 13600K is a top CPU choice. The main issue is the LGA1700 socket, limiting upgrades to higher tiers. If you plan to wait a few years, it shouldn't be a problem. DDR5 6000CL36 will likely surpass even the best DDR4 for most non-latency-heavy tasks. It's also more straightforward since it functions reliably in gear 2. A slightly slower DDR4 in gear 1 might beat a faster one in gear 2. I prefer the 13700F because I don’t overclock. It’s about €15 more than the 13600K and delivers most of its performance compared to the 13700. Right now, motherboards cost around €250. I’m hoping for better value with a cheaper 70-series chipset in the future. I’m excited about the improvements!
Similar to every flagship i5 from the previous four generations (i5 1X600k), offering the best performance for your budget. The 12900k and 13900k provide exceptional value and strong gaming capabilities without excessive power consumption or cost. The 12700k and 13700k aren't essential for gaming; allocate more funds to a superior GPU. As noted, the 13600k turbo to 5.1GHz during gaming runs efficiently without overheating. Opt for a Z motherboard to unlock overclocking and undervolting potential.
Offering a crazy price makes it not worth it, especially for gaming.
It costs me 200€ to get a 32GB DDR5 6000CL36 kit today. It costs me 130€ to get a 32GB DDR4 3200CL16 kit today. I will upgrade this month, I'm still doing research, and from what I have seen, even a DDR5 4800CL40 kit beats a DDR4 3200CL16 in most games. There are games like Cyberpunk 2077 that seem to run better with lower latency ram than with faster ram. Personally I'd go with DDR5 for a new build with the latest processor. With a decent DDR5 motherboard and a great processor, you always have the option to sell your kit and buy a faster DDR5 down the line. Spending 350€ on the processor IMO is worth spending an extra 70€ on the ram and 50€ more on the MOBO to get more out of it. IMO if you go with DDR4, I'd do so with an older cheaper processor for the AM4 socket like the AMD 5800X3D (I can get it for 400€). If you get the fastest dead end ram, you might as well take the best cheapest dead end processor that still gets you amazing FPS. I'm still trying to figure out the various chipset configuration and non-k parts ram speed capability. On the ark page the 13700F is listed with a maximum ram speed of 5600, but I still haven't find out solid information if intel this time around is enforcing the limit or not. I don't know yet if it's worth waiting more to get a 70 class chipset motherboard or if it's worth to get a 90 class chipset with an overall higher end motherboard. In OP case, the 13600K would pair best with a 90 class chipset and a better MOBO with faster overclockable ram. In OP's case, going with DDR4 also introduces lots of trickery about the DDR4 speed and gear mode of the memory controller. Is it better to get a DDR4 4000 kit and try to run it to gear 1? Since OP likes overclocking it might be fun for them to try, but I wouldn't know how to go about it. I can get a DDR4 4000CL18 for 230€. At that price I'd rather have a DDR5 kit.