Intel Core i5-12600K vs Intel Core i5-13600HX vs Intel Core i7-13850HX

Intel Core i5-12600K

The Intel Core i5-12600K is a mid-range CPU for desktops based on the Alder Lake architecture. It was first announced in November 2021 and offers 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. The performance cores (P-cores) support HyperThreading, leading to 16 Threads that can be processed at once. The performance cores can clock with up to 4.9 GHz, the efficiency cores can clock with up to 3.6 GHz. All cores can use 20 MB Smart Cache. The integrated memory controller supports up to 128 GB DDR5 with 4800 MT/s (dual channel).

Thread Director (in hardware) can support the operating system to decide which thread to use on the performance or efficiency cores for the best performance.

The integrated graphics adapter is based on the Xe-architecture and called Intel UHD Graphics 770. It clocks between 300 and 1.45 GHz.

For AI tasks, the CPU also integrates GNA 3.0 and DL Boost. Quick Sync in version 8 is the same as in the Rocket Lake CPUs and supports MPEG-2, AVC, VC-1 decode, JPEG, VP8 decode, VP9, HEVC and AV1 decode in hardware.

Performance

The average 12600K in our database is way ahead of the Ryzen 9 3900 and the Core i9-10900K, as far as multi-thread benchmark scores are concerned. This is a very fast CPU that should have no trouble running triple-A games for at least a couple of years.

Power consumption

This Core i5 series chip has a Base power consumption of 125 W, with its maximum Intel-recommended Turbo power consumption sitting at 150 W.

The i5-12600K is built with Intel's fourth generation 10 nm process marketed as Intel 7 for lower-than-average, as of mid 2023, energy efficiency.

Intel Core i5-13600HX

The Intel Core i5-13600HX is a fast mid-range mobile processor of the Raptor Lake series. Is was announced in early 2023 and integrates 6 fast Raptor Cove performance cores (P-cores) with HyperThreading and 8 Gracemont efficiency cores without HyperThreading. The P-Cores clock between 2.6 GHz (base) up to 4.8 GHz (single core boost, all-core 4.5 GHz). The smaller E-Cores clock between 1.9 and 3.6 GHz. All cores can access the combined 24 MB L3 cache. The CPU supports vPro (Enterprise) management features.

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 13980HX, but only 4800 MHz for the i5).

Performance

While we have not tested a single system built around the 13600HX as of August 2023, we have plenty of performance data for the i7-13650HX, a chip with almost the same specs (six P-cores mated to eight E-cores, with the latter running at the same clock speeds as what the 13600HX has and the former running at up to 100 MHz faster which is a very small difference). Based on that, we expect the 13600HX to be just a few percentage points behind the i7-13700HX and the i9-12950HX, meaning it's a very, very fast CPU, as of mid 2023.

Your mileage may vary depending on how competent the cooling solution of your laptop is, and how high the CPU power limits are.

Power consumption

The chip's "minimum assured" power consumption sits at 45 W. Its peak Turbo power consumption is not supposed to go over 157 W and its Intel-recommended Base power consumption is 55 W. Most laptop makers will probably go for a noticeably higher value to get better performance.

The i5-13600HX is built with Intel's 4th generation 10 nm process marketed as Intel 7 for average, as of early 2023, energy efficiency.

Intel Core i7-13850HX

The Intel Core i7-13850HX is a fast high-end mobile processor of the Raptor Lake series. Is was announced in early 2023 and offers combined 20 cores and 28 threads. Eight fast Raptor Cove performance cores (P-cores) with Hyper-Threading and eight Gracemont efficiency cores without HyperThreading. The 13850HX supports the full enterprise set of vPro management features.

The eight P-Cores are clocked from 2.1 GHz (base) up to 5.3 GHz (single core boost, all cores up to 4.7 GHz). The twelfe E-Cores clock between 1.5 (base) and 3.8 GHz (boost).

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 13850HX).

Performance

While we have not tested a single system built around the 13850HX as of August 2023, we fully expect the chip to be at least a couple pecentage points faster than the i9-12900HX, a CPU featuring eight P-cores and eight E-cores that run at nearly the same clock speeds as what the 13850HX has. Just how wide the performance delta will be will depend a lot on how competent the laptop's cooling solution is, and how high the CPU power limits are.

Power consumption

The chip's "minimum assured" power consumption sits at 45 W. Its Intel-recommended "Maximum Turbo" power consumption is 157 W while the Base power consumption is supposed to be around 55 W. Most laptop makers will probably go for a value much higher than 55 W to extract as much performance out of the chip as possible.

This Core i7 series processor is built with Intel's 4th generation 10 nm process marketed as Intel 7 for average, as of early 2023, energy efficiency.