Core i5-12600K vs Core i5-13600K

The short answer

On paper, the Core i5-13600K is the stronger processor, ahead of the Core i5-12600K in 6 of the specs we compare (the Core i5-12600K leads in 0).

• The Core i5-13600K is 1 generation newer (13th gen, launched Q4'22) than the Core i5-12600K (12th gen, Q4'21). The newer chip uses a newer core design that generally gets more work done per clock, so clock speeds alone understate the gap.
• The Core i5-13600K has 14 cores and 20 threads (6 Performance-cores and 8 Efficient-cores), against 10 cores and 16 threads on the Core i5-12600K. More cores and threads help most with multitasking, video editing, 3D rendering, compiling code and other work that spreads across many cores.
• The Core i5-13600K reaches 5.10 GHz with turbo, 4% higher than the Core i5-12600K's 4.90 GHz. Higher clocks help games and everyday apps that lean on a few fast cores.
• The Core i5-13600K has 24 MB of cache versus 20 MB.

This verdict is generated from official specifications only. We haven't benchmarked these processors, so it doesn't measure real-world speed in games or apps; check independent benchmarks for your specific use.