Key Points:
- Gaming benchmarks reveal that Intel’s new 12 P-Core Bartlett Lake flagship, the Core 9 273PQE, fails to beat the four-year-old Core i9-13900K.
- Despite having 50% more Performance cores than the 13900K, the Bartlett Lake processor achieved virtually identical frame rates across most games.
- Test setups paired both CPUs with a flagship GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, with the Bartlett Lake chip running at up to 5.30 GHz.
- The lackluster gaming performance explains why Intel continues to focus the P-core-only Bartlett Lake lineup primarily on the embedded and network edge markets.
Intel’s upcoming and highly anticipated “Bartlett Lake-S” desktop architecture has finally faced the ultimate real-world test. Still, the results may disappoint PC enthusiasts hoping for a revolutionary gaming upgrade. German hardware outlet PC Games Hardware recently conducted comprehensive gaming benchmarks on the flagship Bartlett Lake processor, the Core 9 273PQE. Despite boasting a unique, performance-focused core layout, the processor failed to deliver any noticeable performance boost over Intel’s older consumer-grade Raptor Lake architectures, specifically the four-year-old Core i9-13900K.
The Bartlett Lake-S lineup represents a fascinating architectural experiment for Intel. Unlike traditional consumer hybrid processors that pair powerful Performance cores (P-cores) with low-power Efficiency cores (E-cores), the Core 9 273PQE relies entirely on a P-core-only design. The processor features 12 P-cores, 0 E-cores, and 24 threads. In theory, this layout should appeal directly to gamers, as most modern video games scale far better across dedicated, high-clock-speed P-cores than they do on secondary, lower-frequency efficiency clusters.
To put this theory to the test, researchers compared the 12-core Bartlett Lake flagship against the Core i9-13900K, which originally launched in late 2022. The older 13900K features a hybrid configuration of 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores, totaling 24 physical cores and 32 threads, which originally launched at a recommended retail price of $589. Even though the Core 9 273PQE boasts a 50% increase in pure Performance cores over its predecessor, gaming benchmark data show that more P-cores do not automatically translate into a better gaming experience. The two chips locked in a dead heat, matching each other frame-for-frame across more than a dozen tested games.
The benchmarking team took extreme care to ensure a fair and highly accurate comparison. They matched both processors on the same mature LGA 1700 motherboard socket, using identical operating thermal design power (TDP) limits and DDR5 memory configurations. To eliminate potential bottlenecks on the graphics side, the test setup used a top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. This ultra-powerful GPU ensured that the processors ran at their absolute physical limits, highlighting even the smallest architectural differences between the old and new platforms.
During the gaming sessions, the Core 9 273PQE ran at a steady clock speed of nearly 5.30 GHz. While the official specifications suggest that the Bartlett Lake chip can reach a maximum turbo frequency of 5.9 GHz, achieving this high clock speed remains incredibly difficult under sustained, multi-core gaming workloads. Meanwhile, the older Core i9-13900K ran much closer to its maximum turbo clock speed of 5.8 GHz. This clock-speed efficiency allowed the older Raptor Lake chip to easily compensate for its lower P-core count, maintaining its position as a superior gaming processor.
The identical benchmark scores shed light on Intel’s broader product strategy. The tech giant initially developed the Bartlett Lake-S family for embedded, network edge, and telecom applications, where highly consistent multi-threaded processing is more critical than rapid single-core burst speeds. While the processors remain physically compatible with mainstream consumer Z790 motherboards, Intel’s decision to avoid a massive consumer marketing push for these P-core-only variants makes sense given the lack of a tangible gaming advantage over cheaper, older alternatives.
Furthermore, the older Raptor Lake platform has proved remarkably durable across subsequent technology generations. Even as the global computer hardware market invests billions of dollars into launching fresh architectures like Arrow Lake and next-generation sockets, the LGA 1700 platform remains a highly compelling option for budget-conscious gamers. The fact that a four-year-old Core i9-13900K can match or outperform a brand-new, specialized 12-core processor shows that hardware architecture and clock-frequency efficiency often matter far more than raw core counts.
For everyday consumers planning their next PC upgrade, the latest benchmark data serves as a clear warning against chasing speculative hardware trends. While a 12 P-core-only processor sounds incredibly appealing on paper, actual software optimization determines real-world success. Unless game developers actively patch their engines to utilize more than eight physical performance cores, those extra four cores on the Core 9 273PQE will continue to sit idle, providing zero benefit while driving up power consumption and thermal output.
Ultimately, the battle between Bartlett Lake and Raptor Lake highlights the diminishing returns of traditional silicon scaling. As chipmakers struggle to extract more performance from standard lithography processes, they must rely on smarter thread scheduling, larger cache sizes, and advanced software integration. Until Intel launches a truly revolutionary desktop architecture, veteran processors like the Core i9-13900K will continue to defend their throne, proving that older hardware can still easily go toe-to-toe with the latest industrial innovations.
