Intel LGA 1851: No changes and ending support for current coolers?

There are reports that the upcoming Intel LGA 1851 socket will have different cooler requirements. This is even while maintaining the same physical dimensions of the mounting holes or processors as such. A forceful way of selling new coolers? This may not be the case and the real reason may be purely technical. And we probably have some idea why processors from the Arrow Lake generation onwards will benefit from more downforce. Read more “Intel LGA 1851: No changes and ending support for current coolers?” »

Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Ahead of Core i9 for gaming at 40% power draw

The most popular Ryzen 7000 with 3D V-cache obliterates competition in its targeted environment. Intel doesn’t measure up to the Ryzen 7 7800X3D in a comparable price range in terms of speed, and even if someone disregards price and sees the Core i9-13900K(S) as a an apt competitor, when comparing power draw, everyone’s appetite for Intel will go away. Their efficiency is… incomparable, as each is at a different end of the spectrum. Read more “Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Ahead of Core i9 for gaming at 40% power draw” »

When E cores are disabled: Core i5-13400F vs. Core i5-12400(F)

With the little (E) cores turned off, the Core i5-13400(F) becomes a 6-core processor with 12 threads in the same way that the older Core i5-12400(F) is. This intergenerational comparison is also a side product of tests main goal of which is to show the impact of E cores not only on computational and gaming performance, but also on operational characteristics. The biggest differences occur in the situations that mainstream PCs run into most often. Read more “When E cores are disabled: Core i5-13400F vs. Core i5-12400(F)” »

Ryzen 9 7950X: AMD’s elite CPU beats but also doesn’t beat Core i9

We saved our tests of the most powerful Ryzen 7000 processor for last, for a number of reasons, as the last “X” model to expand the results database from this generation. The Ryzen 9 7950X, with its 32 threads, stands up to its 32-threaded competitor in the form of the Core i9-13900K with sovereignty, despite having eight fewer cores. Some might even state that it is the more cost-effective processor. But it comes down to your own point of view. Read more “Ryzen 9 7950X: AMD’s elite CPU beats but also doesn’t beat Core i9” »

Intel Core i5-13400F: Best price/perf ratio, questionable for games

Thanks to the addition of E cores even in the lowest Core i5 Raptor Lake models (13400F and 13400), the raw performance between generations has advanced the most in years. However, the improvement may not always happen, the relatively small number of performance ones (P) combined with the lower Turbo Boost 2.0 clock speeds some games don’t like, and when they reach for E cores, the concept of big.LITTLE is at once detrimental. Read more “Intel Core i5-13400F: Best price/perf ratio, questionable for games” »

Intel Core i3-13100F: Tailor-made for cheap gaming builds

Within the Raptor Lake-S CPU segmentation, it belongs to the lowest class (Core i3), but at the same time it is the fastest 4-core processor at all. AMD hasn’t had anything that directly competes with the Core i3-1x10xF processors in this segment for quite some time. So Intel, alone in the field, is pushing these processors in small steps, and the Ci3-13100(F) is already a very well “polished” foundation for budget gaming PCs. Read more “Intel Core i3-13100F: Tailor-made for cheap gaming builds” »

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X: More efficient, but much weaker than Core i7

It clearly outperformed its predecessors (including the R7 5800X) and also the Core i9-10900K, which has two more cores. But it can’t compare with the Core i7-13700K in heavy MT workloads, and that’s just a month after its release. In ST loads, however, it’s even performance-wise, as in games, where Ryzen 7 is more efficient. Whether the R7 7700X is worth more than the Ci7-13700K for similar money, however, you’ll have to judge for yourself. Read more “AMD Ryzen 7 7700X: More efficient, but much weaker than Core i7” »

Ryzen 5 7600: Raphael in AMD’s most popular series scores again

This time, it wasn’t as long a wait as for the Ryzen 5 5600. On the contrary, the Ryzen 5 7600 came out very shortly after the faster model with the “X” in the name. AMD apparently hurried with this lower-power model also because of dissatisfied reactions that 7600X criticize the worse cooling. With the significantly more efficient R5 7600, the situation with silicon is brighter. Plus it’s cheaper and doesn’t lose all that much in performance. Read more “Ryzen 5 7600: Raphael in AMD’s most popular series scores again” »

Intel Core i7-13700K: Efficient choice for a gaming “workhorse”

The sixteen-core desktop Raptor Lake (Ci7-13700K) is a curious compromise between Core i9 (13900K) and Core i5 (13600K). Compared to the Core i5, it is significantly faster thanks to higher clock speeds and Turbo Boost 3.0 support, and it doesn’t lose much performance compared to Core i9 in lighter workloads, including gaming, but it is significantly more power-efficient. Read more “Intel Core i7-13700K: Efficient choice for a gaming “workhorse”” »

Intel Core i5-13600K: Better value than Ryzen 5 7600X? Yes and no

The Intel Core i5-13600K processor gives the impression of being from a slightly different class than the Ryzen 5 7600X. AMD’s Raphael with only 6 cores against 14 cores (albeit eight of them only small, Gracemont) of Raptor Lake may look like an underdog that should be significantly cheaper. However, one must be careful when making judgments. Although the Ci5-13600K is a great processor, so is the still only Ryzen 5 7000 in the game so far. Read more “Intel Core i5-13600K: Better value than Ryzen 5 7600X? Yes and no” »

Intel Core i9-13900K review: Biggest predator in the lake

A fully active Intel Raptor Lake CPU chip, that’s tremendous performance for all situations, but also a lot of worries. These revolve around how to use this great potential and not hold anything back. There are more obstacles than usual. When it’s not on a software basis, it’s a struggle with cooling for a change. And you already know that the 13th-generation Intel Core CPU is sometimes more efficient than the Ryzen 7000. Read more “Intel Core i9-13900K review: Biggest predator in the lake” »

First results of Raptor Lake: A fairy tale in a single thread and…

We’ll be releasing our full tests of the Intel Core i9-13900K (Raptor Lake) tomorrow. The sample arrived at the editorial office after the gallows deadline and it was not possible to make the full tests, but for now we have at least something that may get you in the right mood. One of the pleasant surprises is the higher single-threaded performance at lower power draw than AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs. And that’s even at a record 5.8 GHz. Read more “First results of Raptor Lake: A fairy tale in a single thread and…” »

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X: The most popular Core i5 declassed

The cheapest Ryzen 7000 processor (7600X) is a class above Intel’s cheapest Core i5-class processor (12400). Ryzen dominates in virtually everything, and it does so at higher efficiency. Yes, it’s not the same price range, and the R5 7600X is ultimately “killed” by the high price (not just in terms of the CPU itself, but the entire platform), but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a great processor. Read more “AMD Ryzen 5 7600X: The most popular Core i5 declassed” »

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X test: A BANG of an intergenerational leap

More aggressive power limits? Okay, but at a higher efficiency than Intel can do, AMD told itself while working on the Ryzen 7000 processors. And that’s how it really is, despite record-high clock speeds that are truly unusual for a new, unrefined manufacturing node. If this is just the beginning… In any case, not everything is rosy and AMD’s new processors have downsides that will need to be addressed in the future. Read more “AMD Ryzen 9 7900X test: A BANG of an intergenerational leap” »

End of an era: Intel to stop making Celeron and Pentium CPU

Yesterday we shared the news that EVGA is ending production of GeForce graphics with Nvidia GPUs after more than twenty years. Another “end of an era” moment has however happened virtually at the same time. Intel has announced that it will do away with the historic Pentium and Celeron processor brands that have survived since the 20th century. This is as part of image and branding changes the company is now planning for next year. Read more “End of an era: Intel to stop making Celeron and Pentium CPU” »