Core i5 13600

Hardware testing, content creation, and 4K gaming will put any chipset to the test. If you do one of those things, let alone all three, the i5-13600K won't let you down. Outside of looking at the AMD side, this is one of the best CPUs for gaming you'll find.

The Core i5-13600K is roughly the same as the Ryzen 7 7700X in gaming at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions but is $30 less and gives the option for value-centric DDR4 memory to reduce platform costs. In terms of performance, you can't go wrong with either chip.

14 cores. 14 cores (6 P-cores + 8 E-cores).

The memento should go well as a backdrop item for video-format tech journalists. The retail Core i5-13600K comes in a simple paperboard box, which lacks a boxed cooler.

If you only plan on using the PC for gaming, then an i5 processor will be just fine. However, if you also plan on using the PC for other things like video editing or streaming, then an i7 processor would be a better choice.