Core i5-13500 Vs i5-13400: Should You Upgrade?

Intel’s Core i5-13500 and Core i5-13400 are two entry-level offerings of their mid-range Core i5 lineup. You might already know the Core i5-13500 is the costlier chip, but does it provide higher value with its higher price? We’ll find out today as we compare the Core i5-13500 vs Core i5-13400. 

Key Takeaways

• Performance-wise, the Core i5-13500 is 11.1% faster than the Core i5-13400 in 1080P gaming.
• The Core i5-13400 was 41.1% more power-efficient and 16.4% more thermally efficient than the Core i5-13500 across the 1080P gaming benchmarks.
• The Core i5-13500 is about 7.2% more expensive than the Core i5-13400, on average. Thus, it provides better performance-per-dollar value. 

Core i5-13500 Vs Core i5-13400: Comparison Table 

Here, we can see that despite the very small price difference, the two CPUs have numerous specification differences. Among the matching specifications are the architecture, memory support, maximum operating temperature, and TDP. With that out of the way, let’s look at the differences. 

Core And Thread Counts

Starting off, the Core i5-13500 has 14 cores, including 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores. In comparison, the Core i5-13400 halves the number of E-cores and therefore has 10 cores. 

As each core carries a single thread, the Core i5-13400 also has 4 threads less than the Core i5-13500’s count of 20 threads. 

Boost Clock Speeds

Both CPUs boast the same base clock speeds for both P-cores and E-cores but differ in terms of the boost clock speeds.

Also Read: Core i5-13400 Vs Ryzen 5 5600X

The Core i5-13500 can push its P-cores to 4.80 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost, and the E-core frequency can be increased to 3.50 GHz. The cheaper i5-13400 has a boost clock speed of 4.60 GHz for the P cores and 3.30 GHz for the E cores.

L2 And L3 Cache

The Core i5-13500 also features higher L2 and L3 cache counts due to its higher core counts. The four extra E-cores give it an additional 2MB of L2 cache, for a total of 11.5 MB. In comparison, the Core i5-13400 has 9.5MB of L2 cache. Regarding the L3 cache, the i5-13500 has 24MB, while the i5-13400 has 20MB of it. 

Integrated Graphics

Both the Core i5 CPUs have built-in graphics. However, the Core i5-13500 has slightly improved Intel UHD 770 graphics compared to the i5-13400 with Intel UHD 730 graphics.

Both these integrated GPUs also have the same base frequency and max frequency. However, the Intel UHD 770 graphics possess 32 execution units, while the Intel UHD 730 chip has 24 of them.

Also, the Intel UHD 770 GPU has 2 multi-format codec engines for coding and decoding, while the UHD 730 graphics have a single engine.  

Core i5-13500 Vs Core i5-13400: Gaming Benchmarks

Let’s look at the gaming performance of the two CPUs in 1080P gaming. The test system for these benchmarks uses an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti with 32GB of DDR5 memory (4800 MHz). The benchmarks were carried out across 8 games. Remember that the FPS recorded and shown may vary slightly from actual performance due to shortcomings of monitoring software. 

Marvel’s Spiderman Remastered

• In the first title, Core i5-13500 starts with a lead, scoring 198 FPS. The i5-13400 scores 191 FPS in reply. 
• In terms of %1 lows, the i5-13500 scores 136 FPS and the i5-13400 falls slightly behind with 129 FPS.
• The i5-13500 hovers around the 42°C mark during this test, while the i5-13400 runs at 36°C – 16% cooler.
• Looking at power consumption, the i5-13500 draws 67 watts on average compared to 47 watts of the i5-13400. 

Also Read: Ryzen 5 7600X Vs Core i5-13400 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)

• In terms of average FPS, the i5-13400 pulls ahead by 3 FPS in this test. 
• The i5-13400 also proves to be better regarding %1 lows, scoring 98 FPS over 94 FPS of the i5-13500. 
• Looking at the temperatures, the Core i5-13500 (44°C) runs much warmer than the i5-13400 (34°C).
• The i5-13500 also draws a lot more power than the i5-13400, with 59 watts of consumption on average. 

Cyberpunk 2077

• In Cyberpunk 2077, the i5-13400 keeps its lead with 157 FPS. In reply, the i5-13500 manages 153 FPS. 
• Both CPUs are equally matched as far as the %1 low FPS is concerned. 
• The i5-13500 averages 44°C in terms of temperatures, while the Core i5-13400 runs at around 36°C. 
• A look at the power consumption numbers tells us that the Core i5-13500 draws 72 watts. That’s 44% higher than the i5-13400.

Overwatch 2

• The i5-13500 is marginally better than the i5-13400. It racks up 336 FPS on average compared to the i5-13400, which scores 331 FPS. 
• The Core i5-13500 falls to 247 FPS according to the %1 lows, while the i5-13400 records 241 FPS.
• As for the thermal performance, the i5-13500 averaged 44°C, quite a bit warmer than the i5-13400. 
• In terms of power consumption, the i5-13400 is the more efficient CPU, using only 43 watts of power on average.

Lost Ark

• Another win for the i5-13500 as it scores 6.2% higher in terms of average FPS in Lost Ark. 
• The i5-13500 maintains its lead in terms of the %1 low FPS, scoring 187 FPS. The Core i5-13400 scores 164 FPS.
• Both CPUs run very cool: the i5-13500 runs at 40°C on average while the i5-13400 hovers around the 35°C mark – a 14.2% difference. 
• The i5-13500 draws 50 watts of power on average and the i5-13400 uses 41 watts of power.

Also Check: Ryzen 7 7800X3D Vs i9-13900K

Red Dead Redemption 2

• In Red Dead Redemption 2, the i5-13400 pulls ahead of the i5-13500 again – by 2 FPS this time.
• The %1 low figures show us that the i5-13400 stays ahead by 1 FPS. 
• The i5-13400 shows better thermal performance again and averages the 38°C mark. In comparison, the i5-13500 runs at 44°C on average. 
• In this test, the i5-13500 draws 65 watts of power compared to 42 watts of the i5-13400. 

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

• In our second-last benchmark, the i5-13500 averages 244 FPS while the i5-13400 averages 233 FPS – a 4.7% difference. 
• The i5-13500 falls 1 FPS behind the i5-13400 in terms of %1 lows, managing 149 FPS.
• In terms of temperatures, the i5-13500 is recorded running at around 38°C, 3°C higher than the i5-13400. 
• Looking at power consumption, the i5-13500 draws 43 watts of power. The i5-13400, in turn, consumes 32 watts.

Similar Comparisons: Ryzen 7 7800X3D Vs Ryzen 9 7950X3D

League of Legends

In our final test, we compare the performance of the two CPUs in the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title, League of Legends.

• This test gives another lead to the i5-13500 as it attains 217 FPS on average. On the other hand, the i5-13400 falls short, averaging 205 FPS. 
• In terms of the %1 lows, the i5-13500 has a smaller lead with 143 FPS. The i5-13400 scores 139 FPS. 
• Both CPUs are unstirred in this test and run very cool. Specifically, the i5-13500 runs at 33°C while the i5-13400 runs at 29°C. 
• The i5-13500 draws 35 watts of power on average. In reply, the i5-13400 consumes only 23 watts of power and is 52% more efficient. 

Overall Gaming Performance

Here’s a look at the average FPS and the %1 low FPS of the Core i5-13500 vs Core i5-13400 gaming benchmarks.

• The Core i5-13500 has a significant overall lead against the i5-13400 in terms of average FPS. It scores 241.6 FPS, while the i5-13400 scores 217.3 FPS. 
• Hence, the Core i5-13500 is 11.1% faster than the Core i5-13400 as far as 1080P gaming is concerned. 
• In terms of %1 lows, the Core i5-13500 scores 144.75 FPS and the i5-13400 chalks up 140.5 FPS. 

Power Consumption

Next, let’s look compare the power consumption numbers of the competing CPUs. Remember that both CPUs have the same base TDP rating of 65 watts.

• The Core i5-13500 draws 55.2 watts of power on average. Its competitor draws 39.1 watts of power in return. 
• Thus, the Core i5-13400 is 41% more power-efficient than the Core i5-13500 in 1080P gaming. This is even though both CPUs have the same base TDP rating.

Thermal Performance

In our tests, the Core i5-13500 proved to be a power hog compared to the i5-13400. Will the case be the same in terms of thermal performance? 

• The i5-13500, on average, ran at 41.1°C. In contrast, the i5-13400 averaged 35.3°C during the tests.
• Specifically, this makes the Core i5-13400 16.4% more thermally efficient compared to the Core i5-13500. 

Also Read: Intel Core i3 Vs AMD Ryzen 3

Costs And Price-To-Performance Ratio

Looking at the prices, the Core i5-13500 costs about $237 on average, while the Core i5-13400 costs around $221. This makes the i5-13500 ~7.2% more expensive than the i5-13400. At the same time, it performs 11.1% better in gaming. Both CPUs share the same chipset and memory support specification, so platform costs don’t need to be considered.

Also, despite having the same base TDP rating, the Core i5-13500 consumed 41% more power than the i5-13400 in our tests. At more intensive resolutions and during productivity work, this difference in power consumption will likely be eliminated. Still, as far as 1080P gaming is concerned, this difference needs to be considered in terms of electricity costs. 

So, if the power consumption cost is ignored, the Core i5-13500 provides a better price-to-performance value than the Core i5-13400. 

Which One Should You Go For?

Both the Core i5-13500 and Core i5-13400 are solid mid-range options for gaming. The i5-13500 turned out to be the better gaming CPU. However, this does not mean that the i5-13400 is not worth considering, as it’s cheaper and also runs cooler.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours to make. However, we hope our Core i5-13500 vs Core i5-13400 comparison has cleared any doubts you had and that it has helped you make a decision. 

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