Intel Core i3-13100F vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600: which budget CPU is better for gaming
In a January 2023 test, the Ryzen 5 5600 was faster than the Intel Core i3-13100F in all nine games – by 5 to 14% in most titles and by as much as 65% in Warzone 2.0. The reason is simple: the Ryzen's six cores against the i3's four. Even at the time of the test, the i3-13100F was too weak for a gaming PC to pair with a powerful graphics card.
Summary
- The test ran at Full HD with a GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card to reveal the real difference between the processors.
- The Ryzen 5 5600 (6 cores / 12 threads) won in every game, most of all in Warzone 2.0 (114 vs 69 FPS).
- The Intel Core i3-13100F (4 cores / 8 threads) is enough for esports and for a cheaper graphics card.
- The AM4 platform with a Ryzen 5 5600 and DDR4 memory is still one of the cheapest routes to a gaming PC.
Test systems
| Intel Core i3-13100F | AMD Ryzen 5 5600 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / threads | 4 / 8 | 6 / 12 |
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming | ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (X570) |
| Memory | 32 GB DDR5 | 32 GB DDR4 |
| Graphics and PSU | GeForce RTX 4090, 850 W PSU | |
In-game results (1080p)
| Game | i3-13100F | Ryzen 5 5600 | Ryzen's lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 71 FPS | 85 FPS | +20% |
| Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 | 69 FPS | 114 FPS | +65% |
| Spider-Man | 80 FPS | 85 FPS | +6% |
| Hitman 3 | 154 FPS | 168 FPS | +9% |
| Forza Horizon 5 | 198 FPS | 211 FPS | +7% |
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 167 FPS | 185 FPS | +11% |
| PUBG | 176 FPS | 197 FPS | +12% |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator | 66 FPS | 71 FPS | +8% |
| The Witcher 3 (after the next-gen update) | 49 FPS | 54 FPS | +10% |
The lead is rounded and calculated from the test's average FPS. With a much weaker graphics card than the RTX 4090 the differences will be smaller, because the graphics card becomes the bottleneck.
What the test means for choosing a processor
New games with large open worlds and multiplayer (Warzone, Cyberpunk) use more than four cores. A quad-core processor then prevents a powerful graphics card from showing what it can do, and the game may stutter even with a decent average FPS. That is why we recommend at least six cores for a gaming PC.
The i3-13100F makes sense in a budget esports build or an office computer. For a budget gaming PC, the AM4 platform with a Ryzen 5 5600 was the better deal back in 2023, partly thanks to cheaper DDR4 memory.
Does this still hold in 2026?
Yes, the conclusion has not changed: six or more cores are the standard for gaming. Both platforms are now older, though – AMD sells processors for the AM5 socket and Intel the Core Ultra series. Current processor recommendations by build class can be found in the guide How to choose a gaming PC. If you have a computer with a Ryzen 5 5600, it is usually better to invest in a better graphics card than in a new platform.
What next
- Custom PC builds – we will design a balanced combination of processor and graphics card.
- PC upgrades and service – processor replacement, BIOS updates even without the old processor.
- List of graphics cards – which graphics card suits which processor.
Sources
- Intel Core i3-13100F vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600 tested in nine games with an RTX 4090, YouTube (January 2023).
Frequently asked questions
Is the i3-13100F a good gaming processor?
How many cores does a gaming processor need?
Is the AM4 platform still worth it?
This text was prepared with the help of AI. Facts, figures and procedures were checked by Yegor.