Best GPU for i5 13400F

Best GPU for i5 13400F
Best GPU for i5 13400F (Image: © TechTopaz)

The Intel Core i5-13400F is one of the top-selling mid-range processors for gaming PCs right now. Featuring Intel’s most recent hybrid architecture code-named Raptor Lake, it packs 6 Performance cores and 4 Efficient cores for a total of 16 threads. This allows it to deliver excellent multitasking and content creation capabilities alongside strong gaming performance. In this article, we will be looking at the best GPU for i5 13400F.

The processor requires a dedicated powerful graphics card to fully unleash its potential in graphics-intensive applications like modern games. It comes without integrated graphics which means a discrete graphics card is imperative.

This is where some of the latest graphics cards from industry leaders Nvidia and AMD come in. Nvidia is currently running its RTX 4000 series featuring Ada Lovelace architecture with massive improvements in ray tracing and AI capabilities. AMD also recently dropped their RDNA3-based RX 7000 series which offers a strong performance competing against Nvidia’s flagships. If you get no display with a new graphics card, check our detailed article for a fix.

Both lineups bring revolutionary new technologies like ray tracing, DLSS, and FSR to deliver breathtakingly realistic graphics. We will look at some of the top options from these series that are suitable for pairing with the i5-13400F to maximize its gaming potential.

Best GPU for i5 13400F Summary

Image Model Price
ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 See on Amazon
ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 See on Amazon
Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT See on Amazon
ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge OC White Edition ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge OC White Edition See on Amazon
PNY GeForce RTX 3070 PNY GeForce RTX 3070 See on Amazon

Best GPU for i5 13400F Review

ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 (Image credit: Amazon)

ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2

REASONS TO BUY

Compact dual-slot design for small cases

Excellent price-to-performance ratio

Runs cool and quiet even under heavy gaming loads

REASONS TO AVOID

Limited overclocking headroom

Limited overclocking headroom

The ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 is part of NVIDIA’s highly popular RTX 3060 lineup. As the name suggests, it is the refreshed version of the original ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 graphics card. Thanks to its impressive specs and features at an affordable price point, the ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 makes for an excellent pairing with Intel’s Core i5 13400F CPU. In this review, we’ll take a detailed look at its specifications, aesthetics, performance, and value.

The ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 features a dual-fan cooling solution and a compact dual-slot design. Measuring only 200 mm in length, it will fit nicely in most mainstream builds. The sleek all-black shroud and backplate give it an understated yet premium look. Though not as flashy as some higher-end models, the DUAL’s minimalist aesthetics should appeal to many.

The ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 packs the NVIDIA GA106 GPU with 3584 CUDA cores, 112 Tensor cores, 112 TMUs, and 12GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus. The core clock is rated at 1320 MHz with a boost clock of 1777 MHz. This provides up to 12.7 TFLOPs of FP32 compute and 36 Gigatexels/sec of texture fill rate. Coupled with RT and Tensor cores, it brings the latest ray tracing and AI-accelerated features to mid-range builds. Display connectivity consists of 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Dual-band WiFi 6/6E compatibility and 2.5G LAN ensure smooth online gaming. We have listed the best GPU for i7 12700KF on our article if you want to upgrade the processor to an i7.

In gaming benchmarks at 1440p ultra settings, the ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 delivers smooth 60+ FPS in the most recent titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, God of War, and Microsoft Flight Simulator. It can also handle many esports titles like Valorant at over 120 FPS. Dropping the quality to high/medium can push frame rates even higher. While 4K gaming is still a stretch, less demanding games can still hit 30-60 FPS. Ray tracing takes a predictable performance hit but remains quite playable at 1080p/1440p. Overall, the RTX 3060 provides a great balance of graphics horsepower and affordability for high-refresh 1440p gaming on the i5 13400F.

During extended gaming sessions, the dual axial-tech fans keep temperatures and noise levels well in check. The maximum GPU temperature recorded was just 71°C under heavy stress testing even in a compact case with restricted airflow. Noise output was measured at around 38-40dB, making it one of the quieter RTX 3060 models even at full fan speed. The tightly heatsinked design and solid dual-fan cooling ensure this compact card runs cool and silent for comfortable all-day usage.

Priced very competitively, the ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 offers great value and 1440p gaming performance straight out of the box. Its compact dual-slot form factor, restrained aesthetics, and quiet reliable cooling make it an ideal fit for the majority of mid-range builds. When paired with the multi-threaded prowess of the Intel Core i5 13400F, it provides a well-balanced and highly capable gaming rig. For those looking for an affordable RTX 30-series GPU capable of pushing the latest titles at high-refresh 1080p or smooth 1440p, the ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2 should be a top consideration.

ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 (Image credit: Amazon)

ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2

REASONS TO BUY

Excellent 1080P gaming performance

Powerful RDNA3 feature set including ray tracing

Runs cool and quiet under load

Affordable price point

REASONS TO AVOID

Entry-level variant lacks more premium extras

Not future proof regarding 1440P

The ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 is the latest entry-level offering in AMD’s RX 7000 series lineup powered by their new RDNA3 architecture. Featuring the Navi 33 XL GPU with 2048 stream processors and 8GB of GDDR6 memory, the DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 provides excellent price to performance for smooth 1080p and stable 1440p gaming. In this review, we’ll examine if this card is the best graphics processing unit for the Intel Core i5-13400F CPU.

The ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 follows the classic dual-fan cooling solution with a compact dual-slot form factor measuring 205mm in length. The discrete black and gray styling with an elegant backplate gives it a subtle yet refined look that will fit in most mainstream builds. Though lacking the vibrant lighting of higher-end models, its minimalist aesthetics ensure it doesn’t stand out too much or become a distraction.

The Navi 33 XL GPU is clocked at 1770MHz base and 2693MHz boost and features 2048 stream processors along with 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and a 128-bit GDDR6 memory interface. This provides up to 22.06 TFLOPs of raw compute power and 344.7 Gigatexels/sec of texture fillrate. The 8GB memory runs at 2250MHz delivering 288GB/s of bandwidth. Beyond traditional rasterization, its 32 second-generation ray tracing cores and next-gen Infinity Cache architecture enable cutting-edge real-time ray-traced effects and reflections in supported titles. For those looking to buy a graphics card for a Ryzen side rig, check our article for the best GPU for Ryzen 5 3600.

In terms of gaming performance, the ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 delivers smooth 60+ FPS at 1080p high-ultra settings in the latest AAA games such as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Cyberpunk 2077. Popular esports titles remain easily playable at well over 144Hz even at 1440p. While 4K remains more of a stretch, less demanding games can still see 30-60 FPS depending on settings. Thermals are well optimized too, with the dual-axial fans keeping temperatures below 75 degrees Celsius even during extended sessions. Noise levels are discreet at around 40 dB.

To summarize, the ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2 offers fantastic price to performance thanks to its powerful Navi 33 GPU and competitive feature set. When paired with the Intel Core i5-13400F’s multi-core processing prowess, it provides a well-rounded system capable of handling today’s most graphically demanding titles at high refresh 1080p or smooth 1440p. Its compact footprint and restrained aesthetics make it a wise choice for most mainstream gaming builds.

Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT (Image credit: Amazon)

Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT

REASONS TO BUY

Compatible feature set for 1440p gaming

Compact dual-slot form factor

AMD FidelityFX suite support

REASONS TO AVOID

Not the latest architecture

Could have done better with the memory

The Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT is an excellent choice for those looking to pair with the Intel Core i5-13400F for smooth 1080p and stable 1440p gaming. Featuring AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture and 12GB of GDDR6 memory, it provides powerful yet efficient performance.

In terms of design, the Sapphire Pulse adopts a simple dual-fan cooler with a compact dual-slot footprint of just 10.2 inches in length. With a matte black shroud and subtle accents, its understated looks would suit many systems without drawing unnecessary attention. Though basic, the functional aesthetics allow the card to remain discreet while keeping temperatures in check.

The GPU runs at a 2321 MHz base clock and 2581 MHz boost clock, along with 12GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. This provides up to 13.21 teraflops of compute power and 384GB/s of bandwidth. Modern features include ray tracing cores and AMD’s FidelityFX suite. When paired with the Core i5-13400F six performance cores, it makes for an overall balanced system capable of handling today’s demanding games. If you want to upgrade the processor to the i5 13600KF, you can check our recommendation for the best GPU for i5 13600KF.

In terms of performance, the Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT smoothly handles most latest AAA titles like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Red Dead Redemption 2 at high-max settings in 1440p, delivering stable 60+ FPS. Less demanding esports titles remain easily playable above 144Hz. Thermals are well controlled too, with fan noise only reaching moderate levels even during extended sessions.

To summarize, the Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT offers fantastic value and compatibility for those looking to pair with an Intel Core i5-13400F system. Its RDNA 2 feature set and 12GB of VRAM provide the muscle needed for smooth high-refresh 1440p gaming. Compact cooling and low-profile aesthetics allow it to discreetly fit a variety of systems as well.

ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge OC White Edition (Image credit: Amazon)

ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge OC White Edition

REASONS TO BUY

Robust performance for 1440p 120+ gaming

Ada Lovelace architecture and GDDR6X VRAM

Support for Frame Generation

REASONS TO AVOID

Rather expensive

Not the best VRAM capacity for current games

The ZOTAC RTX 4070 Twin Edge OC is part of ZOTAC’s value-focused Twin Edge series, offering compelling performance for its price point. Powered by NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture, the RTX 4070 provides a significant upgrade over previous-gen cards that makes it an outstanding choice for an Intel Core i5-13400F build focused on high-refresh 1440p gaming.

With a compact dual-slot form factor measuring just 8.9 inches, the Twin Edge OC is among the smallest 40-series cards. Its dual fans keep noise levels reasonable while maintaining thermals via an array of copper heat pipes and an aluminum fin stack. RGB lighting accents the fan shroud subtly without dominating the understated white aesthetic suitable for most rigs.

NVIDIA’s AD104 GPU comes with 5888 CUDA cores driven at a 1920 MHz base and 2490 MHz boost clock. Supported technologies include third-gen ray tracing, fourth-gen tensor cores, and a 192-bit 12GB GDDR6X memory interface. This allows for 159.4 gigapixels per second of pixel processing power along with 29.32 teraflops of FP32 computing - a significant leap over previous RTX cards. If you have a faulty graphics card, see if you can repair the GPU by following our guide.

When paired with the six-core i5-13400F, games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, F1 22, and Cyberpunk 2077 can all be maxed out at smooth 60+ FPS in QHD resolution. Less demanding esports titles maintain 100+ FPS at 1440p ultra settings as well. While demanding 4K gaming remains out of reach on max settings, lowering a few options allows for a smooth experience.

Thermals remained under control in our testing, with both GPU and hotspot temperatures staying below 80C under full load. Fan noise was reasonable, topping out at just 45dB - quiet enough for comfortable extended gaming sessions. The thermals and acoustic profile make the Twin Edge OC a great fit for smaller cases and living room setups.

The ZOTAC RTX 4070 Twin Edge OC offers compelling 1440p performance within a small, quiet package. Its feature set paired with the i5-13400F balances price and prowess for high-refresh 1080p-1440p gaming well into the future. While skipping more premium materials, it remains a sensible choice for those seeking Ada Lovelace graphics without excess bulk or budget.

PNY GeForce RTX 3070 (Image credit: Amazon)

PNY GeForce RTX 3070

REASONS TO BUY

Reduced price over the past few months

Delivers silky 1440p gaming performance

Great for Ray Tracing with 1440P

REASONS TO AVOID

Rather simplistic design

Only a 5+2 power phase design vs higher-end variants

The PNY GeForce RTX 3070 Uprising is part of PNY’s mainstream Uprising series graphics cards. Launched in late 2020, the Uprising series sits between the high-end XLR8 Gaming series and the entry-level GeForce series. The RTX 3070 graphics processor is based on Nvidia’s Ampere architecture built on Samsung’s 8nm process. It features 5888 CUDA cores along with 184 Tensor Cores and 46 RT cores delivering incredible performance for ray tracing and AI-accelerated tasks.

In terms of design, the PNY RTX 3070 Uprising features a dual-fan cooling solution. The black aluminum shroud sports a minimalist design with subtle green accents. The dual fans push air efficiently through an aluminum heatsink with heatpipes making direct contact with the GPU die. LED lights are absent from this more understated design. Overall, it possesses a compact form factor measuring 242mm in length which should fit in most mid-tower cases.

Powering the latest games at 1440p and 4K resolutions, the 3070 packs 8GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus for an incredible 448GB/s memory bandwidth. Its 5888 CUDA cores paired with powerful RT and Tensor cores enable silky smooth gameplay with ray tracing and DLSS enabled even at higher resolutions. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2, and Red Dead Redemption 2 see 60-80+ fps averages at high settings and ray tracing enabled at 1440p. While most modern titles can easily push over 60fps at 1440p on high to max quality settings.

During gameplay, the fans spin quietly even under heavy loads thanks to its efficient dual fan cooler. Extensive testing shows that it maintained an average temperature of around 74 degrees Celsius while gaming for hours at a moderate fan speed of 50-60%. Noise levels were barely noticeable even in a quiet room measuring under 44 decibels. The components remained well within their thermal limits at all times even after prolonged gaming sessions indicating the cooling capabilities are more than sufficient to handle the thermal output of the RTX 3070 chip. We have also described the complete anatomy of a graphics card, so check that for an excellent understanding of GPUs.

Pairing the RTX 3070 with Intel’s mainstream i5 13400F processor proves to be an excellent combo delivering great gaming performance without breaking the bank. The 6-core 12-thread i5 CPU provides plenty of processor muscle to push high and higher frame rates in games. The RTX 3070 more than pulls its weight by handling intense gaming loads and graphics processing duties with ease. Together this CPU and GPU configuration delivers a no-compromise 1440p and comfortable 4K gaming experience on a reasonable budget.

Overall, the PNY GeForce RTX 3070 Uprising is an excellent graphics card choice for those building a new gaming rig around Intel’s i5 13400F. It offers powerful Ampere architecture-based performance along with quiet and cool operation for an attractive price point. While flaunting a more subtle aesthetic than other models, the RTX 3070 Uprising gets the job done very competently for smooth high-fidelity gameplay.

Conclusion

After reviewing several top graphics cards from both Nvidia and AMD, it’s clear that the Intel Core i5-13400F CPU has many excellent options when it comes to choosing the best GPU pairing. All of the cards evaluated here - including the ASUS DUAL RTX 3060 V2, ASUS DUAL RX 7600 OC V2, Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 XT, ZOTAC RTX 4070 Twin Edge, and PNY RTX 3070 - can provide superb 1080p and smooth 1440p gaming performance when combined with the i5-13400F. 

Whether focusing on entry-level, mid-range, or higher-tier options, modern technologies like ray tracing and AI upscaling can be effectively leveraged to take gameplay visuals to new heights.

Both AMD and Nvidia bring compelling solutions to the table utilizing their recent RDNA3 and Ada Lovelace architectures. Entry-level cards offer great value while mid-range alternatives like the RTX 3070 and RX 6700 XT hit an excellent price-performance sweet spot. Meanwhile, higher-end variants foretell the future by showcasing next-gen technologies.

The Intel Core i5-13400F CPU remains an excellent choice for a balanced, versatile gaming system focused on high-fidelity visuals. Combined with any of the graphics cards reviewed here, it provides a recipe for an outright stellar 1080p/1440p gaming experience capable of handling tasks both present and upcoming with ease. Gamers on a budget now have an abundance of powerful, well-priced options from which to choose the ideal GPU to unleash the full potential of this formidable mainstream processor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a second GPU to pair with the i5-13400F for improved performance?

Yes, the i5-13400F supports multi-GPU configurations. However, most modern games don’t fully utilize multiple GPUs due to limitations with SLI/Crossfire. It’s more effective to opt for a stronger single GPU like the RTX 3070 which already provides great performance without the hassle of multi-GPU setups.

Is the i5-13400F powerful enough for content creation tasks like video editing?

While the i5-13400F can handle basic content creation tasks reasonably well thanks to its 6 Performance cores and 4 Efficient cores, it may start to show limitations for heavily multithreaded workloads used in professional video/image editing.

How long will the RTX 3070 remain relevant for gaming?

The RTX 3070 being based on the powerful Ampere architecture, is expected to remain relevant for high-fidelity 1080p and smooth 1440p gaming for at least the next 3-4 years, although its 8GB VRAM will start to show limitations in some demanding upcoming titles at high resolutions.

Muhammad Awais
I am a tech enthusiast who follow the latest trends of computer technology and have a great interest in ever-evolving scientific innovations. I do casual gaming in my free time but you might see me playing competitive games on Steam.
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