Is the i5-13600 good for gaming?

Just how good at gaming is the new i5 13600?

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Is the i5-13600 good for gaming? In Q1 2023, Intel brought us some exciting additions to its 13th-generation lineup. One of these is the core i5-13600 – without any fancy letters at the end, for those who prefer to keep things simple. 

Interestingly, the unlocked version of this CPU (the core i5-13600K) was released before it, in Q4 2022, at an MSRP of $319. 

The i5-13600 appeals to the more budget-conscious gamers at a very economical $255 price point. However, with this price drop comes a slight downgrade in terms of performance.

Let’s talk about the recently released core i5-13600 – is it good for gaming?

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Core i5-13600: Specifications

Here is some basic information about the processor:

• 14 cores
• 6 performance cores (Hyperthreading enabled)
• 8 efficiency cores
• 20 threads
• P.core base clock: 2.7GHz
• P.core boost clock: 5.0GHz
• E.core base clock: 2.0GHz
• E.core boost clock: 3.7GHz
• Default TDP: 65 watts
• Max TDP: 154 watts
• Integrated graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 770

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Is the i5-13600 good for gaming?

Intel has managed to pull off something incredible here. The core i5-13600 is a great option for gamers who prefer the mid-range segment and want a sweet balance between price and performance. The i5-13600 comes very close to nailing that balance. 

Performance-wise, the 13600 is not lacking in any way. It has 20 threads, 12 of which are run on high-performance cores with decent overall clock speeds in the high 4GHz.

Unlike the i5 generations before it, the i5-13600 actually has enough threads for multitasking that it’s a viable option for content creation and productivity work.

The CPU has respectable single-thread performance as well, just grazing the 5GHz mark with Intel’s Turbo Velocity Boost.

Single-thread performance is typically the best influencer of gaming performance since games can get more out of one fast thread than multiple slower threads. 

Overall, you’ll find the i5-13600 an excellent card for gaming, especially for the price you pay for it. It pairs nicely with mid to high-end GPUs for 1080p and 1440p gaming at high settings and comfortable framerates. 

Budget-friendly

The i5-13600 retails at a relatively affordable $255.

When you consider that it uses the LGA1700 socket, is compatible with Z690 motherboards with a simple BIOS update, and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, it’s obvious why the i5-13600 is such a budget-friendly option in today’s market. 

Power-efficient

The i5-13600 has fair power efficiency. Its base TDP is a comfortable 65 watts, although its max is much higher, at 154 watts. Depending on the intensity of your usage, you may have to go for liquid cooling.

Air cooling will likely be sufficient to prevent thermal throttling, but it may not keep the processor cool enough to allow Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost to kick in, in which case you’d be missing out on considerable performance potential.

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How does the i5-13600 compare to the other i5s?

The 13th generation i5 lineup has multiple variants. This time around, we have an i5 13400, an i5 13500, an i5 13600, and their various editions (unlocked, no iGPU, etc.) 

And to make matters even more confusing, they all retail at a similar price range of $200 to $300. 

Given all this variety, It can be a little hard to pin down which CPU to go for. 

Honestly, they’re all great options that offer similar price-to-performance ratios. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

The cheapest of the bunch is the core i5-13400F, which retails at $216. You can expect it to offer some 10% lower performance than the 13600, which is about in line with their price ratios.