Intel Core i5-13500 vs Intel Core i9-13900HX

Intel Core i5-13500

The Intel Core i5-13500 is a fast and relatively power efficient desktop processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, which was introduced in October 2022. The processor offers a base clock of 2.5 GHz and reaches up to 4.8 GHz in Turbo. The hybrid CPU architecture introduced with Alder Lake is also used in the Raptor Lake processors. Compared to the Intel Core i5-12500, the Intel Core i5-13500 offers more cores, which means a higher overall performance can be achieved. In total, the Intel Core i5-13500 can process up to 20 threads in parallel. The performance cores (P cores) offer hyperthreading for this purpose, which is withheld from the energy-efficient cores (E cores).

Performance

Due to the higher number of physical computing units, the Intel Core i5-13500 offers noticeably more performance compared to the Intel Core i5-12500. Both processors have 6 P-cores, although only the Intel Core i5-13500 is additionally equipped with 8 E-cores.

Graphics unit

Like the Intel Core i5-12600K, the Intel Core i5-13500 offers an integrated graphics unit. The Intel Iris Xe architecture continues to serve as the basis. In terms of performance, however, not much has changed with the new Intel UHD Graphics 770.

Power consumption

The TDP of the Intel Core i5-13500 is 65 watts, with the option to increase this to up to 154 watts in Turbo mode. Compared to the Intel Core i5-12500, the energy requirement increases slightly.

Intel Core i9-13900HX

The Intel Core i9-13900HX is a fast high-end mobile processor of the Raptor Lake series. Is was announced in early 2023 and looks like it is based on the desktop Core i9-13000K with combined 24 cores and 32 threads. Eight fast Raptor Cove performance cores (P-cores) with HyperThreading that clock between 2.2 GHz (base) and 5.4 GHz (single core boost, 4.9 GHz for all cores) and sixteen Gracemont efficiency cores without Hyper-Threading (1.6 - 3.9 GHz).

Compared to Alder Lake, Raptor Lake offers improved P-Cores (Raptor Cove micro-architecture) with bigger Caches and more E-Cores (same Gracemont micro-architecture). Furthermore, the chip supports faster DDR5 memory (up to 5600 MHz for the 13900HX).

Performance

The average 13900HX in our database is in the same league as the Core i9-13950HX and the Ryzen 9 7845HX, as far as multi-thread benchmark scores are concerned. This is really impressive, to say the least.

Thanks to its decent cooling solution and a long-term CPU power limit of 99 W, the Eluktronics Mech-17 GP2 is among the fastest laptops built around the 13900HX that we know of. It can be about 50% faster in CPU-bound workloads than the slowest system featuring the same chip in our database, as of August 2023.

The CPU is still produced in a further improved 10nm FinFET process (Intel 7) that allows the higher clock speeds. The power consumption is specified at 55W base power up to 157 Watt max. Turbo power.