The Core i5 13400 is a mid-range budget $200 offering in the Raptor Lake lineup. The processor offers solid performance while not costing a ton, which makes it ideal for gaming rigs on a budget.
Starting this generation, the x400 lineup of Team Blue packs efficient 'E' cores, scaling them above six cores and twelve threads. Historically, this series has been Intel's best-seller. It also helped with the company's sales in the flopped Rocket Lake days.
Thus, it is no surprise that the spiritual successor of the popular Core i5 12400 is causing ripples in the budget gaming market. The i5 13400 competes directly against the Ryzen 5 7600. At a lower price, it is the favorite choice of many.
A guide to buying the best mid-range GPUs for the Intel Core i5 13400
5) AMD Radeon RX 6600 ($229)
The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is an entry-level 1080p gaming card launched to compete directly against the RTX 3060 from Nvidia. The card packs decent performances while not costing a fortune.
The GPU can be found for around $200, making it an ideal option for budget rigs under $1,000. The card can run most modern titles at up to 1440p with some compromises in visual quality. Thus, it is a great cost-effective card for the Core i5 13400.
4) AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ($289)
The Radeon RX 6650 XT is a premium 1080p gaming card from Team Red. The mid-cycle refresh GPU was launched to compete against the RTX 3060 Ti. The card offers high-end performance at an affordable price of under $300.
The GPU beats Nvidia's counterparts in multiple games. However, features like ray tracing and temporal upscaling continue to be Team Green's stronghold. But this does not alter the fact that the 6650 XT is a solid gaming GPU and a good pair with the Core i5 13400.
3) Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 ($369)
The RTX 3060 is among the most popular graphics cards on the market. The GPU is built for 1080p gaming, today's most popular resolution. It is the spiritual successor to the GTX 1060 and RTX 2060 GPUs, both of which were huge commercial successes.
The card packs all modern technologies like ray tracing and temporal upscaling. Thus it is no wonder that many gamers are picking up the 60-class offering for sub-$1,000 rigs. Nvidia has packed 12 GB of VRAM with the card, which ensures it remains relevant even a couple of years after launch.
The RTX 3060 is an excellent pair with the Core i5 13400.
2) AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ($429)
The Radeon RX 6750 XT is slightly towards the high-end of cards launched by Team Red as part of the RDNA 2 lineup. The GPU is a minor improvement over the original RX 6700 XT.
The card is very close to the RTX 3070 in terms of performance, and as we found in a detailed comparison, it beats the Nvidia card on multiple occasions.
Thus, gamers can opt for the AMD GPU if they are building a high-performance 1440p gaming rig. The card is a bit overkill for FHD gaming. However, paired with the Core i5 13400 will make for a solid, future-proof rig.
1) Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 ($559)
The RTX 3070 was launched as Nvidia's 1440p gaming champion in 2020. The card is much faster than its last-gen counterpart, as established in comparison with the RTX 2070 Super.
In addition, the card can easily play most video games at 4K without major performance hiccups. The card easily ranks among our best options for UHD gaming on a budget. Thus, gamers will get a bang for their buck with the card.
When paired with the Core i5 13400, the GPU will be utilized to its fullest potential, providing a solid experience.
The i5 13400 is a solid processor for mid-range gaming. The above GPUs will help users achieve 100% of the new processor.