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Intel Core i3-13100

Intel Core i3-13100: Budget Processor of 2025 for Everyday Tasks and More

March 2025

Key Specifications: Architecture and Performance

The Intel Core i3-13100, launched as part of the Raptor Lake series, remains relevant in the budget segment thanks to its balanced features.

Architecture and Process Technology

- Codename: Raptor Lake-S (desktop version).

- Process Technology: Intel 7 (10 nm Enhanced SuperFin). This ensures low power consumption (TDP 60W) and improved heat dissipation compared to previous generations.

- Cores and Threads: 4 cores, 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading. Frequency can reach up to 4.5 GHz in turbo mode.

- Cache: 12 MB L3 cache — twice as much as the i3-12100, which speeds up data processing in applications.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 730 (base frequency 300 MHz, max — 1.45 GHz). Suitable for office tasks and 4K video, but not for gaming.

Performance

- Geekbench 6:

- Single-Core: 2248 (comparable to Ryzen 5 5500).

- Multi-Core: 7358 (on par with Core i5-12400F in basic scenarios).

- Real-world tests:

- In CS2 at medium settings with a GTX 1660 Super — stable 120-140 FPS.

- Rendering a 10-minute video in DaVinci Resolve takes ~25 minutes (compared to ~18 minutes for the Ryzen 5 5600).

Key Features:

- Support for PCIe 5.0 (16 lanes) for future upgrades.

- Intel Quick Sync Video technology for fast video encoding.

Compatible Motherboards: Socket and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA 1700 socket, allowing it to be installed on boards with 600 and 700 series chipsets.

Recommended Chipsets

1. H610 (from $70):

- A budget option for office PCs.

- No overclocking; limited support for PCIe 4.0 (only 1 slot).

- Example: ASUS Prime H610M-E.

2. B660/B760 (from $100):

- An optimal choice for home PCs.

- Supports DDR5, PCIe 4.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2.

- Example: MSI PRO B760M-A WiFi.

3. Z690/Z790 (from $200):

- For enthusiasts, but overkill for the i3-13100.

- Supports memory overclocking and PCIe 5.0.

Tip: For DDR5, choose B760 to avoid compatibility issues. If the budget is tight, opt for H610 + DDR4.

Memory Support: DDR4 vs DDR5

The processor supports both types of memory, but with nuances:

- DDR4-3200: Cheaper (16 GB — $35), suitable for budget builds.

- DDR5-4800 (16 GB — $50): 10-15% faster in games and applications, but requires a compatible motherboard.

Practical Example: In tests with RTX 3050, the difference between DDR4 and DDR5 in Cyberpunk 2077 was about ~8-10 FPS (1080p, medium settings).

Power Supply: How Many Watts Do You Need?

The processor itself consumes up to 60W, but it is important to consider other components:

- System without a discrete graphics card: PSU of 300-400W (for example, be quiet! Pure Power 11 400W).

- With a graphics card like RTX 3060: PSU of 500-600W (EVGA 600 GD).

Recommended Models:

- Corsair CV550 (550W, $65).

- Seasonic S12III 500W ($60).

Pros and Cons of the Core i3-13100

Advantages:

- Price: $125-140 (cheaper than Ryzen 5 5500).

- Energy efficiency: Suitable for compact cases.

- Support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5.

Disadvantages:

- 4 cores: Multi-threaded performance lags behind 6-core Ryzen 5.

- Weak integrated graphics: A discrete graphics card is needed for gaming.

Usage Scenarios

1. Office and Multimedia:

- Streaming 4K video, document work, browser with 20+ tabs.

2. Gaming:

- With a GTX 1660 Super: Fortnite (1080p, Epic) — 90-110 FPS.

- Without discrete graphics: Minecraft (720p, 60 FPS).

3. Work Tasks:

- Photoshop, Lightroom — comfortable operation.

- Video editing in 1080p: feasible, but for 4K, it’s better to choose i5/Ryzen 5.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 3 7300X ($130):

- Better in multi-threaded tasks (6 cores), but more expensive.

- Integrated graphics Radeon Vega 8 is weaker than UHD 730.

- Intel Core i5-12400F ($160):

- 6 cores, but lacks integrated graphics.

Conclusion: The i3-13100 excels in price and energy efficiency but falls short in multi-threading.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Cooler: Standard boxed cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, consider the DeepCool AG400 ($20).

2. Storage: An SSD is a must (e.g., Kingston NV2 500 GB — $40).

3. RAM: 16 GB DDR4-3200 is the minimum for gaming in 2025.

4. Case: Micro-ATX (Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L) for compactness.

Final Verdict: Who is the i3-13100 Suitable For?

This processor is the ideal choice for:

- Budget PCs: Builds for $400-500 for office work and light gaming.

- Upgrading older systems: Replacing Pentium/Core i3 10th generation.

- Media centers: Low power consumption and 4K support.

Not recommended for:

- Streaming AAA games.

- Professional 3D modeling.

Price/Quality: As of March 2025, the i3-13100 remains one of the best options in its category due to support for DDR5 and PCIe 5.0.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 2023

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i3-13100

Code Name

Raptor Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Performance-cores

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.50 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom.

L3 Cache

12 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1700

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

Intel 7

TDP

60 W

Processor Base Power

The time-averaged power dissipation that the processor is validated to not exceed during manufacturing while executing an Intel-specified high complexity workload at Base Frequency and at the junction temperature as specified in the Datasheet for the SKU segment and configuration.

60 W

Maximum Turbo Power

The maximum sustained (>1s) power dissipation of the processor as limited by current and/or temperature controls. Instantaneous power may exceed Maximum Turbo Power for short durations (<=10ms). Note: Maximum Turbo Power is configurable by system vendor and can be system specific.

110 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

5.0 and 4.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16+4 | 2x8+4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

192 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

76.8 GB/s

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics 730

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

300 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.5 GHz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP 1.4b | DP 1.4a | HDMI 2.1

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

12 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)

Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) provides a common, robust method of hot plug and LED management for NVMe-based solid state drives.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel Control-Flow Enforcement Technology

CET - Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET) helps protect against the misuse of legitimate code snippets through return-oriented programming (ROP) control-flow hijacking attacks.

Yes

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost)

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

OpenCL Support

OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for heterogeneous parallel programming.

3.0

Intel Quick Sync Video