When it comes to CPUs, there’s a strong case to be made for chips like the 13th gen Intel Core i9-13900K being overkill for gaming. Sure, Raptor Lake now has Arrow Lake threatening to wipe the generation out, but it still packs enough performance to blow your novelty Minecraft socks off. Its specs are also pretty similar to the newer i9-14900K, and if you’re not the type of player to fuss over single-digit frame rate improvements, this class of processor might not be put to good use.
That said, adding the best CPU for gaming to your rig is arguably part of the fun. I’m sure many of you just like the idea of building a high-spec system for hobbyist reasons. Even if you’re not going to max out the i9-13900K in gaming, the idea that you can push performance to the absolute limit is appealing.
