Best GPUs to Buy for Intel Core i5 13400F

Suggested Article: Best GPUs for 1080p Gaming in 2023

Our Recommendations

1. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060

👑 The best budget GPU

Whilst it struggles to hold up when pushed to 1440p, most gamers picking up one of these cards will be focussed on dialling up the framerates instead of improving visual fidelity. As for the specs, the 12GB of VRAM and 3584 CUDA cores allows games to run smoothly when paired up with an adequate CPU, which is bolstered further by a boost clock speed that even eclipses that of the RTX 3060Ti. Therefore, the RTX 3060 is a solid option for budget builders looking for reliable performance at 1080p.

Key Specs

Key Specs	Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (Founders)
Video Memory	12GB GDDR6
Base Clock Speed	1.32GHz
Boost Clock Speed	1.77GHz
CUDA Cores	3584
RT Cores	28
Power Consumption	170W

Things We Like

Affordable pricing: At the moment of this article being written, the RTX 3060 is one of the cheapest GPUs on the market that we would consider picking up for a PC build. Plus, the high possibility a RTX 4060 release is bound to cause these prices to drop further.

Strong 1080p performance: In most of the titles that we’ve played during benchmarking runs, the RTX 3060 has comfortably hit framerates above the 120FPS threshold. This should be more than enough to keep competitive gamers satisfied on a tight budget.

Things We Don’t Like

Not ideal for 1440p: With budget-oriented graphics cards, jumping from 1080p to 1440p often leads to a significant drop in performance, and the RTX 3060 is no exception. Whilst it is possible to run games at 1440p, this GPU provides a much better gaming experience at 1080p.

Lack of futureproofing: As previously mentioned, Nvidia’s release patterns for RTX 4000 GPUs suggests that the RTX 4060 is just over the horizon. If a 4060 does release at a competitive price, it will likely be the superior option for budget PC builds, making its 30 series equivalent somewhat redundant.

Summary

Where to Buy

Buy the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 3060 on:

2. AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT

👑 The best GPU for 1080p Gaming

As for the RX 6650 XT specifically, this graphics card has come on leaps and bounds to provide a premium 1080p gaming experience for those on a tight budget. On top of this, this GPU can run a selection of titles at 1440p, hitting framerates above the standard 60FPS that most PC gamers expect when gaming on the latest hardware. Compared to the competition in the budget market, the 6650 XT has significantly higher clock speeds, resulting in a more responsive gaming experience when paired with an i5 13400F.

Key Specs

Key Specs	AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT (Founders)
Video Memory	8GB GDDR6
Base Clock Speed	2.05GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.41GHz
CUDA Cores	2048
RT Cores	32
Power Consumption	176W

Things We Like

Excellent 1080p performance: Though gaming at 1440p on this GPU is solid, the 6650 XT truly excels when running on 1080p high settings. Therefore, competitive gamers that aren’t quite ready to jump to 1440p can’t go wrong with this card.

Very affordable: The price to performance this card offers to consumers is arguably the best of any graphics card on the market. As a result, it is hard to overlook this GPU for any budget gaming PC.

Things We Don’t Like

Lack of Ray-Tracing: One area where AMD’s graphics cards have struggled to compete with their Nvidia counterparts is Ray-Tracing. Unfortunately, the 6650 XT suffers from similar issues, which is another reason why it is stronger at 1080p.

Limited thermals: Compared to other modern GPUs, the 6650XT contains more SKUs which opt for two fans instead of three, which raises concerns over their ability to keep temperatures down when running more demanding tasks.

Summary

Where to Buy

Buy the MSI Gaming X RX 6650 XT on:

3. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060Ti

👑 The best value GPU

Also, the RTX 3060Ti is one of the most versatile graphics cards on the market, delivering a fairly strong output at all resolutions. However, the 1440p performance is perhaps where this card proves to be most useful, as it hits the 144FPS sweet-spot in an array of competitive titles. Paired with an i5 13400F, this card will provide a great experience for all mid-range gamers, offering a flexible system that will perform well at both 1080p and 1440p.

Key Specs

Key Specs	Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060Ti (Founders)
Video Memory	8GB GDDR6
Base Clock Speed	1.41GHz
Boost Clock Speed	1.66GHz
CUDA Cores	4864
RT Cores	38
Power Consumption	200W

Things We Like

Great for 1440p gaming: Offering a great blend of performance and enhancements such as DLSS, this GPU is perfect for 1440p gaming. And with 1440p slowly becoming the standard for PC gaming, the 3060Ti is a great choice for those looking to build a PC that is meant to last.

Reasonable price point: There is a slight increase in price for the additional performance that the RTX 3060Ti provides over our previous entries. However, this GPU is great value compared to more expensive offerings, and the jump from the budget GPUs isn’t too big.

Things We Don’t Like

Thermal limitations: In a similar fashion to the RX 6650 XT, the RTX 3060Ti variants often lack the infrastructure to keep temperatures down while under intense workloads. Because of this, it’s important to provide plenty of airflow within your system via fans and CPU coolers.

Last-gen hardware: As Nvidia release more RTX 4000 graphics cards, the market is being flooded with options for those building a gaming PC which targets 1440p. This means the 3060Ti is likely to be less valuable in the near future, as better cards with improved architecture will be available for a similar price.

Summary

Where to Buy

Buy the Gigabyte Eagle OC RTX 3060Ti on:

Gaming Benchmarks

Whilst we could tell you all the great aspects of each graphics card featured in this roundup, it’s much easier to show you how these cards perform in a range of the latest titles. During our time with each of these GPUs, we’ve tested them in a range of titles with various settings enabled. Here, we’ll be highlighting a few examples, but feel free to check out our PC builds and GPU reviews for more in-depth analysis.

Looking at the results, it’s clear to see that the RTX 3060 is a step behind the others at 1080p, which is somewhat expected due to its lower entry point. But it still provides framerates that are more than suitable for budget gaming, as cheaper monitors are less likely to be able to display a refresh rate over 144Hz at 1080p anyways.

The real competition however, is between the RX 6650 XT and RTX 3060Ti. Despite being the cheaper option, AMD’s 6650 XT manages to best the 3060Ti in both Fortnite and Apex Legends on 1080p high settings, which shows how valuable this card can be within a budget-friendly gaming rig. However, the 3060Ti takes back the top spot in Battlefield 2042 on 1440p High Settings, solidifying it’s place as the best option for mid-range systems.

Apex Legends – 1080p High Settings

Battlefield 2042 – 1440p High Settings

Is 1080p Gaming Still Worth It?

However, there are two main reasons why gamers will opt for 1080p instead. The first is pricing. Though a lot of products such as 1440p displays are now available for a price that isn’t too far off their 1080p counterparts, it takes quite the investment to convert a budget 1080p setup into a higher resolutions, with costs adding up quite easily. As a result, lots of budget gamers tend to stick with the lower resolutions in order to avoid issues that can occur in setups that haven’t been fully optimised for 1440p.

Secondly, 1080p is often still the preferred resolution for ultra-competitive gamers, as it is cheaper and easier to reach higher framerates. For example, a number of brands have recently unveiled 1080p monitors that possess a mind-blowing 500Hz refresh rate, designed to give Esports players the best chances of reacting to on-screen events in the midst of an intense battle. Most gamers will never need a framerate this high, but for those that do, these numbers would simply not be possible on a display with higher resolutions – for now at least!

Why You Can Trust Us

After reading through our suggestions, you may be asking why you should trust our takes on the best GPUs for the Core i5 13400F? Allow us to explain.

As soon as a new product is sent to the GeekaWhat office, our team of PC hardware and gaming experts get to work testing it in a range of gaming scenarios, as well as general usage. This experience is then used to forge a general overview of the product in question, which is then delivered to our audience via YouTube videos and articles like this one.

If you would like to learn more about each of our team members, or read our editorial promise, head on over to the About Us section.

How We Tested the Best GPUs for the Core i5 13400F

In order to test and evaluate the best graphics cards to pair with specific CPUs, there are a number of factors that we take into account. These are:

• Performance
• CPU Compatibility
• Aesthetic
• Thermals
• Value for Money

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions