The 13th-generation Intel core processors from the i9 family are some of the fastest. Intel i9-13900K continues to be in demand for its speed and performance.
We look at the comparison between the Intel i9-13900K and Intel i9-13900KF core processors below.
Main differences
The main differences between the Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF are shared below for your ready reference:
- Intel i9-13900K processor comes with an in-built display adapter or graphics support. The i9-13900KF processors do not have an in-built display capability. You must get a graphics adapter or graphics engine with an i9-13900KF processor. Intel i9-13900KF is suitable for advanced gamers. They prefer to bring up full-fledged graphics engines or display processors like Nvidia.
- The i9-13900K processor supports ECC RAM while the i9-13900KF does not have ECC RAM support.
- The i9-13900K processor supports advanced security programs of Intel Some of these include the Intel Threat Detection Technology and Intel Active Management Technology. A full list of security products available in the i9-13900K processor is shared in the relevant section below.
- Intel i9-13900K processor is costlier than the I9-13900KF processor by almost 8 to 10 percent. The cost difference is calculated based on the list price of both processors.
We look at the capabilities and differences between Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF below for your ready reference.
CPU Basics
The basic CPU details for Intel i9-13900K and Intel i9-13900KF are shared below.
| Processor details | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | 13th generation | 13th generation |
| Segment | Desktops | Desktops |
| Architecture | Raptop Lake | Raptop Lake |
| Preceding processor | i9-12900K | i9-12900F |
| Usage | PC/Client/Tablet, Workstation | PC/Client/Tablet |
| Lithography | Intel 7 | Intel 7 |
| Release date | Q4-2022 | Q4-2022 |
There are no differences in the CPU basic of Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors.
CPU Cores
The details of the number of cores in Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF are mentioned below.
| CPU Cores | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Total cores | 24 | 24 |
| Performance cores | 8 | 8 |
| Efficient cores | 16 | 16 |
| Threads | 32 | 32 |
| CPU Socket | FCLGA1700 | FCLGA1700 |
| T Junction | 100°C | 100°C |
There are no differences in the CPU specifications or the number of cores of Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors.
CPU Speed
Let us look at the speed of Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors in a side-by-side comparison below.
| CPU Speed | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Performance core – Base Frequency | 3.00 GHz | 3.00 GHz |
| Performance core – Turbo Frequency | 5.40 GHz | 5.40 GHz |
| Efficient core – Base Frequency | 2.20 GHz | 2.20 GHz |
| Efficient core – Turbo Frequency | 4.30 GHz | 4.30 GHz |
| Intel Turbo Boost Max Frequency | 5.70 GHz | 5.70 GHz |
| Intel Thermal Velocity Boost Frequency | 5.80 GHz | 5.80 GHz |
| Max Turbo Frequency | 5.80 GHz | 5.80 GHz |
The frequency of Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors for the performance and efficient cores is uniform. There are no differences in the frequency of both processors on different processor modes.
CPU Cache
The processor cache details for Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF are mentioned below.
| Cache | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Total L3 cache (shared) | 36 MB | 36 MB |
| Total L2 cache | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| L2 cache per core | 2 MB | 2 MB |
We have an identical cache on Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors. There are no differences.
Memory
Both, Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF offer support for DDR 5 and DDR 4 RAM. The essential details of RAM configuration, capacity, and compatibility for both processors are shared below.
| Memory details | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Total memory supported | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| DDR 5 Memory support | Yes | Yes |
| DDR 5 Memory Maximum Speed | 5600 MT/s (mega transfers per second) | 5600 MT/s (mega transfers per second) |
| DDR 4 Memory Maximum Speed | 3200 MT/s (mega transfers per second) | 3200 MT/s (mega transfers per second) |
| Maximum Memory Bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | 89.6 GB/s |
| ECC Memory compatible | Yes | No |
There are no differences in the RAM capacity and compatibility of Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors.
CPU Graphics
Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF, primarily, differ in the graphics configuration. The i9-13900K processor has an in-built graphics engine with the graphics processor. The details of the graphic engine of Intel i9-13900K processors are shared below.
| Processor graphics | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics engine | UHD Graphics 770 | Not integrated |
| Graphics Base frequency | 300 MHz | Not integrated |
| Graphics Max Dynamic frequency | 1.65 GHz | Not integrated |
| Graphics output | eDP 1.4b, DP 1.4a, HDMI 2.1 | |
| Max Resolution eDP | 5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz | |
| Max Resolution | 7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz | |
| Max Resolution (HDMI) | 4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz | |
| Number of displays supported | 4 | |
| DirectX Support | 12 | |
| Open GL Support | 4.5 | |
| Open CL Support | 3.5 |
Intel i9-13900K processors use Intel’s proprietary graphic engine powered by the UHD770 engine. Intel i9-13900KF lacks an on-board graphics engine or display adapter.
Expansion options
Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF have identical slots and are compatible with PCIe 5 and PCIe 4 standards for the bus architecture.
| Slot expansions | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Media Interface (DMI) Revision version | 4 | 4 |
| Max DMI lanes | 8 | 8 |
| PCIe 5 compatible | Yes | Yes |
| PCIe 4 compatible | Yes | Yes |
| PCI Express configuration | Up to 1×16+4, 2×8+4 | Up to 1×16+4, 2×8+4 |
| Max PCI lanes | 20 | 20 |
There are no differences between i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors when it comes to compatibility with PCIe 5 and PCIe 4 standards.
Power consumption
| Power usage | i9-13900K | i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Base power | 125 Watts | 125 Watts |
| Maximum Turbo power | 253 Watts | 253 Watts |
Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF use an identical amount of base power and maximum turbo power. There are no differences in power consumption of both processors.
Security
Intel i9-13900K strives to offer a more secured experience than the i9-13900KF processors. The following Intel-specific security algorithms are supported by the Intel i9-13900K processors.
| Security programs | Intel i9-13900K | Intel i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Intel® Threat Detection Technology (TDT) | Yes | No |
| Intel® Active Management Technology (AMT) | Yes | No |
| Intel® Remote Platform Erase (RPE) | Yes | No |
| Intel® One-Click Recovery | Yes | No |
| Intel® Hardware Shield Eligibility | Yes | No |
| Intel® Total Memory Encryption – Multi Key | Yes | No |
Intel i9-13900K uses advanced algorithms for boosting processor based security. The i9-13900KF processor lacks these security features.
Windows 11 compatibility
Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors are fully compatible with Windows 11 operating system. Most OEM suppliers and PC manufacturers will give you desktops and laptops that come with Windows 11 preloaded on i9-13900K and i9-13900KF based systems.
CPU Benchmarks
The following are the CPU performance benchmark scores for Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF processors.
| CPU Benchmark | Intel i9-13900K | Intel i9-13900KF |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 Single core | 2238 | 2279 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi core | 38437 | 39161 |
| Passmark Single core | 4731 | 4705 |
| Passmark Multi core | 60560 | 59739 |
| Geekbench 5 Single core | 2306 | 2211 |
| Geekbench 5 Multi core | 24179 | 24106 |
Final verdict
Intel i9-13900K and i9-13900KF are equally fast-performing processors. For most practical applications, Intel i9-13900K should be sufficient.
For advanced display experience for gamers, Intel i9-13900KF will be the right choice. Since i9-13900KF does not come with an in-built graphics ability, you could get an advanced graphics engine or driver to work alongside the i9-13900KF.
For non-gaming or non-graphics intensive applications, Intel i9-13900K remains the best bet from the 13th-generation Intel i9 processors.
You may also like to read more comparisons for Intel core processors below:
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Rajesh Dhawan is a technology professional who loves to blog about smart wearables, Cloud computing and Microsoft technologies. He loves to break complex problems into manageable chunks of meaningful information.