Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake: In-Depth Review and What You Need to Know

Following AMD’s release of the Ryzen 7000 series at the end of 2022, Intel's next-generation CPUs are now officially launched. Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake marks Intel's latest breakthrough in chip technology with significant innovations in architecture and features. Let’s explore what you need to know about this chip in this article.

What is the Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake Chip?

At CES 2023, Intel introduced its full lineup of 13th-generation Raptor Lake processors, including the HX, H, P, and U-series chips. Notably, the new 35W T-series unlocked chips for desktops and N-series for budget gaming laptops and Ultrabooks were also highlighted.

Raptor Lake powers the latest laptops with over 250 designs in 2023, delivering enhanced hybrid performance with up to 10% faster office productivity. It also features the best connectivity with Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth LE Audio, and Thunderbolt 4 support.

Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake Chip Specifications

• Release Date: 2023
• Cores/Threads: 24 cores, 32 threads (including 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores)
• Manufacturing Process: Intel 7
• Base Clock: 3.4 GHz
• Max Clock Speed: 6.0 GHz
• Memory Type: DDR4-3200, DDR5-5600
• TDP: 125W / 253W
• Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 770
• PCIe: PCIe 5.0 x16, PCIe 4.0 x4 (SSD)

Raptor Lake CPUs are manufactured using the Intel 7 process, similar to the 12th-generation Alder Lake. These are expected to be the last CPUs built on Intel 7 before transitioning to Intel 4.

Like the 12th-generation chips, Raptor Lake CPUs boast significant improvements in the number of performance cores (P-cores and E-cores) with up to 24 cores and 32 threads, TDP ranging from 65W to 125W for Raptor Lake-S, and 15W to 45W for Raptor Lake-P. They also integrate Intel UHD Graphics 770 and support up to 128GB of memory.

Additionally, the Turbo clock speed has increased by 600 MHz from the Core i9 and supports DDR5 up to 5600 along with PCIe 4.0 and 5.0. Raptor Lake CPUs are compatible with both the Z690 and Z790 chipsets, using the same LGA1700 socket, allowing for similar cooling solutions as the previous generation.

Highlights of Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake Chip

1. Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake Benchmarks and IPC

Intel claims that the Core i9-13900K is 5% faster than the 12900K in more than half of the 32 games tested, and up to 25% faster in some games.

The improved IPC (Instructions Per Cycle) will allow Raptor Lake to handle multitasking and multithreading more efficiently, while higher benchmarks will enable the chip to perform more stably and achieve maximum performance.

2. Reaching 6GHz Max Speed

Intel has improved the e-core frequency up to 4.3 GHz on the 13900K and increased the all-core clock speed by 600 MHz.

We will soon see a 6 GHz Raptor Lake model, as improved node characteristics combined with enhanced speed paths in design (using faster, leakier transistors in key paths) allow Intel to boost the max clock speed by 600 MHz.

3. Intel 7 Process

The Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake chip is built on Intel's advanced Intel 7 manufacturing process, utilizing cutting-edge techniques like Extreme UltraViolet (EUV) and SuperFin.

This Intel 7 process improves performance and energy efficiency compared to previous processes and is expected to be the final process using current techniques before Intel transitions to the newer Intel 4 process.

4. P-Cores with New Raptor Cove Microarchitecture

The P-cores of the Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake chip can operate at higher speeds compared to other E-cores and are designed with the new Raptor Cove architecture—an update of the Golden Cove architecture used in Intel Gen 12 Alder Lake chips.

Raptor Cove architecture features performance enhancements, especially in tasks requiring multithreading. The P-cores are optimized for handling high-performance tasks like gaming, video processing, or graphic applications.

5. Intel UHD 770 Graphics

Intel continues to use Intel UHD Graphics 770 for its Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake chip series.

UHD Graphics 770 is an integrated graphics card (IGP, GT1) in Alder Lake and Raptor Lake SoCs, offering 32 execution units (EUs) and clock speeds up to 1.65 GHz (depending on the CPU model).

6. Advanced Wireless Connectivity

The Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake chip is equipped with advanced Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, enabling faster data transmission, lower latency, and better multi-device connectivity. The chip also supports Bluetooth 5.2 technology, allowing for quick and stable wireless connections with multiple devices.

This article has provided insights into the improvements and breakthroughs of Intel Gen 13 Raptor Lake. See you in future articles!