Intel Core i9-13900HK vs Intel Core i7-9700

Intel Core i9-13900HK

The Intel Core i9-13900HK is a high-end mobile CPU for laptops based on the Raptor Lake-H series (Alder Lake architecture). It was announced in early 2023 and offers 6 performance cores (P-cores, Golden Cove architecture) and 8 efficient cores (E-cores, Gracemont architecture). The P-cores support Hyper-Threading leading to 20 supported threads when combined with the E-cores. The clock rate ranges from 2.6 to 5.4 GHz (single core turbo, all-core 4.9 GHz) on the performance cluster and 1.9 to 4.1 GHz on the efficiency cluster. The performance of the E-cores should be similar to old Skylake cores (compare with the Core i7-6920HQ). All cores can use up to 24 MB L3 cache. As a K-variant, the CPU offers an open multiplicator and therefore the possibility to overclock the CPU cores. Compared to the similar i9-12900HK, the 13900HK offers higher clock speeds. Compared to the i9-13900H, the 13900HK only offers the "Essentials" features of vPro.

Performance

Thanks to the high core count and high clock speed, the Core i9-13900HK is the fastest 45W CPU for laptops and only bested by Raptor Lake-HX based models with more cores and improved P-cores (e.g., the i9-13980HX). Still, the CPU is very well suited for all demanding use cases like gaming, content creation, and scientific calculations.

Features

The integrated memory controller supports various memory types up to DDR5-5200 (up from 4800 MHz for the 12th gen). The Thread Director (in hardware) can support the operating system to decide which thread to use on the performance or efficient cores for the best performance. For AI tasks, the CPU also integrates GNA 3.0 and DL Boost (via AVX2). 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. The CPU now supports PCIe 5.0 x8 for a GPU and two PCIe 4.0 x4 for SSDs.

The integrated graphics card is based on the Xe-architecture and offers 96 EUs (Execution Units) .

The CPU is rated at 45 W base power (115 W PL2) but most laptops will use a PL1 of around 60 Watt. The SoC is manufactured in a 10nm process at Intel, which is known as Intel 7 (improved over the 12th Gen).

Intel Core i7-9700

The Intel Core i7-9700 is a high end desktop processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It integrates 8 cores (no Hyperthreading therefore also 8 threads) clocked at 3 - 4.7 GHz. Compared to the similar named Core i7-9700K, the 9700 has no open multiplicator for easy overclocking, offers lower clock speeds and offers a reduced TDP.

Compared to the old Core i7-8700, the 9700 offers two more real cores but no Hyperthreading. Therefore, the performance gain is not that big - depending on the app. The single core performance was slightly improved thanks to the higher Turbo clocks. As a high end desktop CPU, the i7-9700 is well suited for demanding tasks and gaming.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphics card is clocked at up to 1.2 GHz and offers no advantage compared to previous generations. As it is a very low end GPU, only some low demanding games like Hearthstone can be played with it (see GPU page for benchmarks).

Intel specifies the TDP at 65 Watt (instead of the 95W of the faster models) and therefore the CPU wont need a high end desktop cooling system.