Intel’s Core i5-13400 (and iGPU-less 13400F twin) tops the list of best CPUs for gaming as it offers great gaming performance at an affordable price. The chip has 10 cores, of which 6 are performance cores, 4 are efficiency cores and it also has 16 threads. It has a top boost frequency of 4.6 GHz and operates at a 65 W TDP.
Normally, you’d pay around $200 for the 13400F, but it’s now available on both Amazon and Best Buy. you can get it for $165, at least $20 is the lowest price ever. The 13400F is recommended as part of our two best PC builds. The $800 and $1,000 builds are priced at $208. Drop about $40 off that price and you’ll save a lot, and you could potentially invest the savings in a faster graphics card or a larger SSD.
When we reviewed the Core i5-13400F, we praised the chip for its strong 1080p gaming performance. In Windows 11 testing, the 13400 paired with DDR4-3600 memory edged out the much more expensive Ryzen 5 7600 ($219) by just a few fps, and even beat last year’s Core i5-12600K. The next step up is the Core i5-13600K which costs around $259 and boasts a 5.1 GHz boost clock with 14 cores and 20 threads.
It has a Core i5-13400 (non-F) Selling for $199. However, getting a chip with a GPU inside is not recommended. If you’re building a gaming system, consider a discrete GPU and a discrete graphics card ( $139 Intel Arc A380to create mincemeat for Intel’s integrated graphics.
Below you can see the specs of the Core i5-13400/F and how it compares to its competitors.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Cores/Threads (P+E) | P Core Base/Boost Clock (GHz) | E-Core Base/Boost Clock (GHz) | Cache (L2/L3) | TDP/PBP/MTP | memory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 7 5800X3D | 8/16 | 3.4/4.5 | 104MB (8+96) | 105W | DDR4-3200 | |
| Ryzen 7 7700 | 8/16 | 3.8/5.3 | 40MB (8+32) | 65W/88W | DDR5-5200 | |
| Core i5-13600K/KF | 14/20 (6+8) | 3.5/5.1 | 2.6/3.9 | 44MB (20+24) | 125W/181W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-5600 |
| Core i5-12600K/KF | 10 / 16 (6+4) | 3.7/4.9 | 2.8/3.6 | 29.5MB (9.5+20) | 125W/150W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | 6/12 | 3.8/5.1 | 38MB (6+32) | 65W/88W | DDR5-5200 | |
| core i5-13500 | 14/20 (6+8) | 2.5/4.8 | 1.8/3.5 | 35.5MB (11.5+24) | 65W/148W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
| Core i5-13400F | 10 / 16 (6+4) | 2.5/4.6 | 1.8/3.3 | 29.5MB (9.5+20) | 65W/148W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
| Core i5-12400/F | 6/12 (6+0) | 4.4/2.5 | – | 25.5MB (7.5+18) | 65W/117W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 6/12 | 3.7/4.6 | – | 35MB (3+32) | 65W | DDR4-3200 |
| Ryzen 5 5600 | 6/12 | 3.5/4.4 | – | 35MB (3+32) | 65W | DDR4-3200 |
| Core i3-13100F | 4/8 (4+0) | 3.4/4.5 | – | 17MB (5+12) | 60W/89W | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 |
One thing to note about the Core i5-13400F is that it can run with either DDR4 or DDR5 RAM, depending on which motherboard you choose. DDR4 RAM is cheaper than DDR5 RAM and the performance difference is relatively small, so you can save a lot by using the older standard. In contrast, all of AMD’s Ryzen 7000 chips must use motherboards that only accept DDR5 memory.
If you are looking for a cheap motherboard for use with Core i5-13400F, MSI Pro B760M, for only $99. The 13400F ships with a suitable air cooler, so there is no need to buy a third party cooler.
