AMD and Intel have been the choice to make for PC builders for decades now. For quite a few years Intel gained an advantage, thanks to their constant need to improve. The Ryzen series of CPUs has changed all of that, and now given the price-to-performance ratio for both companies, it is a far more difficult choice. Today’s guide is going to take a look at the AMD Ryzen 3 4100 and how it stacks against the Intel i5 13600K.
These occupy very different price segments, but there are some strong comparisons to be made between the two. Intel has been the performance king for years, but the Ryzen series of CPUs is a solid competitor at any price range. Let’s take a look at how these two CPUs stack up, how they perform, and which one is the better purchase.
AMD Ryzen 3 vs. Intel i5: Side-By-Side Comparison
| Feature | AMD Ryzen 3 4100 | Intel i5 13600K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 4 | 14 |
| Base Clock Frequency | 3.8 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Boost Clock Frequency | 4 GHz | 5.1 GHz |
| L1 Cache | 64 KB per core | 64 KB per core |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB per core | 8 MB total |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB | 6 MB |
| Manufacture Process | 7 nm | 7 nm |
| RAM Supported | DDR4 | DDR4, DDR5 |
| TDP | 65 watts | 125 watts |
| PCI-E Version | 3 | 5 |
- 14 cores (6 P-cores + 8 E-cores) and 20 threads
- Performance hybrid architecture
- Up to 5.1 GHz
- Compatible with Intel 600 series and 700 series chipset-based motherboards
- Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0
AMD Ryzen 3 vs. Intel i5: What’s the Difference?
Performance
The Ryzen 3 4100 is a budget CPU, and it certainly shows. While it is certainly leaps and bounds ahead of something like the old stalwart FX 6300, it cannot keep up with the i5. Both CPUs have similar base frequencies, but the i5 13600K eats the AMD 4100 for lunch in every single metric.
Synthetic benchmarks are the most revealing for this, with the i5 13600K scoring 26,429 points in Passmark. Contrast this to the 11,264 points from the Ryzen 3 4100 and it shows the gulf between the two. This divide is made even larger when considering the memory types on offer with both CPUs. Intel has DDR4 and DDR5 compatibility on their latest chipsets, whereas the Ryzen 3 is still stuck on DDR4.
As a daily driver for someone considering a budget build, the Ryzen 3 4100 works adequately. If you’re looking for a budget CPU to power your gaming, rendering, or editing builds then the i5 13600k is the one to get. There isn’t concrete data out there for how the Ryzen 3 4100 performs while playing games. One can extrapolate from its less-than-stellar Passmark scores that it is on par with a six to seven-year-old CPU. The 13600K by comparison is a solid choice for any gaming rig, you’ll likely run into a GPU bottleneck before you ever approach maxing the CPU out.
Compatibility
The AMD Ryzen 3 4100 is very much a budget CPU, and as such isn’t benefitting from the more numerous advances in technology. Advanced instruction sets aren’t natively supported by the AMD CPU, nor is DDR5 RAM. This leaves it as a solid budget choice, but a poor choice for any potential sleeper builds. The Ryzen 3 does support virtualization, which might make it a good choice for doing some lab work if you’re involved in IT. Still, for the price, it is a fairly solid CPU.
By comparison, the Intel i5 13600K is filled with the latest and greatest Intel has to offer. Sure, it isn’t as high-powered as the i7 or i9 CPUs. It does have support for PCI Express 5.0, advanced instruction sets, and DDR5 RAM. These may seem like relatively minor things, but it does help to safeguard your potential purchase for the foreseeable future. DDR5 RAM is gaining a fair bit of market share, and other CPUs are catching up to this. It makes sense that the Intel i5 supports all these technologies, as it is perched perfectly in the midrange pricing bracket.
There is also the simple fact that the AMD Ryzen 3 doesn’t have a built-in GPU. This effectively means you’ll need to have an additional GPU to actually get your computer to display anything. The Intel i5 GPU is nothing to write home about, but you can at least use the CPU as a business machine without being concerned about how you’re going to connect it to your primary display.
Pricing
This is probably where the starkest difference arises. The AMD Ryzen 3 4100 can be easily had for under $100. Contrast this with the Intel i5 13600K, which averages between $300 to $400 depending on which retailer has ample supply.
It does make sense the i5 is the better performer, as it is nearly quadruple the cost of the AMD Ryzen 3. Of course, this price difference accounts for greater performance for the Intel i5. If you’re looking for a solid CPU for a budget build, the Ryzen 3 is a great choice. As the primary driver for any computer doing strenuous work, it probably isn’t enough in this day and age.
The difference in pricing doesn’t affect availability, however, as you might have a harder time locating an i5 locally. Online retailers have a good amount of stock available for the 13600k, but prices wildly fluctuate, so you’ll have to be vigilant if you’re wanting to catch a good deal.
- Delivers 100+ FPS performance in most popular games, but discrete graphics card required
- 4 Cores and 8 processing threads
- Includes AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- Supports DDR4-3200, 6MB cache
- 4.0 GHz Max Boost
- Unlocked to allow overclocking
AMD Ryzen 3 vs. Intel i5: 4 Must-Know Facts
- The Ryzen 3 serves as AMD’s budget line of CPUs, but the Intel i5 is still one of the best buys you can make for a CPU
- Ryzen 3 is more common in mobile chipsets, like low-cost laptops
- The AMD has phenomenal power consumption rates and low heat production, while the i5 has heavy power consumption and would definitely benefit from a third-party CPU cooler to run at its best
- The Intel i5 has better support for overclocking
AMD Ryzen 3 vs. Intel i5: Which One is Better? Which One Should You Choose?
Between these two CPUs, there is a definite clear winner. Although the pricing is wildly different, the Intel i5 13600K is a solid choice for anyone looking for a workhorse of a CPU. For business purposes, it doesn’t require an additional GPU to function. People involved in more high-level computing will greatly benefit from the higher core count. Those deep in the trenches of PC gaming will surely appreciate the higher boost clock frequencies and the readily accessible overclocking utilities available on compatible motherboards.
Where this leaves the Ryzen 3 is more specifically in its own separate lane. It isn’t built to be a high performer, but it certainly has enough features to make it a powerful school computer CPU. It lacks the core count to do any sort of multi-threaded processing, but it should make a solid performer for more basic computing tasks. Its low cost makes it an attractive choice for people looking to build basic computers capable of handling data entry, and other tasks which don’t require a lot of power. It is hindered somewhat by its lack of a built-in GPU, but that can be easily mitigated with a low-cost graphics card.
- AMD Ryzen™ 3 4100 4-Core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
- Delivers 100+ FPS performance in most popular games, but discrete graphics card required
- 4 Cores and 8 processing threads
- Includes AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- Supports DDR4-3200, 6MB cache
- 4.0 GHz Max Boost
- Unlocked to allow overclocking
- Intel Core i5-13600K
- 14 cores (6 P-cores + 8 E-cores) and 20 threads
- Performance hybrid architecture
- Up to 5.1 GHz
- Compatible with Intel 600 series and 700 series chipset-based motherboards
- Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0
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