AMD Ryzen 5 4600G vs Intel Core i3-13100F Comparison

The Intel Core i3-13100F and AMD Ryzen 5 4600G represent two fundamentally different approaches to the budget desktop CPU segment, and the benchmark data reveals a clear split in their respective strengths. While both processors land at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, their average benchmark scores are nearly identical—17,653 for the Intel and 17,507 for the AMD—yet they achieve this parity through entirely different means. The data shows a 12-to-7 split in favor of the AMD in direct head-to-head tests, but the nature of those wins and losses paints a nuanced picture of which processor suits which workload.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G dominates in throughput-oriented tasks that scale with core count and memory bandwidth. Its six cores and twelve threads give it a decisive advantage in Cinebench rendering workloads, where it wins all six Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests, both single-core and multi-core. The data also shows the AMD winning PassMark’s data compression, encryption, extended instructions, integer math, and multithread tests, plus random string sorting. These are workloads that reward additional cores and the higher base clock of 3.70 GHz.

The Intel Core i3-13100F, despite having only four cores and eight threads, wins in tasks that favor raw single-thread speed and specific instruction efficiency. Its PassMark single-thread score of 3,609 beats the AMD’s 2,653 by 36%, and it wins the Geekbench single-core test by a massive 40.8%. The Intel also takes the PassMark physics test with a 56.1% margin and the prime number finding test by 90.6%. Floating-point math also favors Intel by 11.9%. These wins suggest the Intel architecture excels in latency-sensitive, branch-heavy, or FPU-heavy code that does not scale well across many threads.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from different design generations and foundries. The Intel Core i3-13100F is built on Intel’s 10 nm process and uses the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-S die measuring 163 mm². The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G uses TSMC’s 7 nm process with the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, on a 156 mm² die. The AMD integrates 9,800 million transistors, a figure not provided for the Intel part.

Caching strategies diverge sharply. The Intel part allocates 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD uses 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and only 8 MB of shared L3. This smaller L3 on the AMD is notable given its multi-core advantage, but the larger per-core L2 on Intel (1.25 MB vs 512 KB) likely contributes to its single-thread wins.

Memory and I/O support differ as well. The Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD is limited to DDR4. Both are dual-channel, but the AMD lists a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, a figure absent for the Intel. The Intel provides PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes, whereas the AMD provides PCIe Gen 3 with 20 lanes. The AMD includes integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics; the Intel has no integrated graphics. The Intel’s multiplier is locked, while the AMD’s is unlocked. The AMD’s TDP is 65 watts versus Intel’s 58 watts, and their sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1700 versus AMD Socket AM4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking single-core result is Geekbench, where the Intel scores 2,056 against the AMD’s 1,460, a 40.8% advantage. This is far larger than the PassMark single-thread gap of 36%, indicating the Intel’s Raptor Lake cores excel in Geekbench’s particular mix of workloads. In Cinebench R23 single-core, however, the AMD wins with 1,919 versus 1,758, an 8.4% margin. This contradiction suggests the AMD’s Zen 2 cores are competitive in AVX-heavy render loops but fall behind in more general-purpose integer code.

Multi-core results are consistently AMD. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD scores 13,593 against the Intel’s 12,458, an 8.3% lead. The pattern holds across all Cinebench versions: R15 multi-core 1,370 vs 1,255 (8.4%), R20 multi-core 5,709 vs 5,232 (8.4%). Yet in Geekbench multi-core, the Intel reverses this with 7,655 vs 6,637, a 15.3% win. This indicates Geekbench’s multi-threaded workload does not scale as well with the AMD’s extra cores, possibly due to memory latency or cache limitations.

The PassMark suite shows the AMD’s biggest margins. Data compression favors the AMD by 27.4% (231,426 vs 168,043), encryption by 37.4% (13,572 vs 8,496), extended instructions by 25.3% (15,280 vs 11,407), and random string sorting by 31.7% (24,246 vs 16,569). Integer math goes to the AMD by 15.2% (50,723 vs 43,038). These are substantial, consistent wins suggesting the AMD’s six cores provide a real throughput advantage in data manipulation tasks.

Intel’s wins in the PassMark suite are equally decisive but fewer. Prime number finding shows the largest delta: 61 vs 32, a 90.6% advantage for Intel. Physics shows 1,055 vs 676, a 56.1% win. Floating-point math is closer at 11.9% (33,510 vs 29,947). The PassMark multithread test goes to the AMD at 15,992 vs 14,687, an 8.2% margin, which is consistent with the Cinebench multi-core results.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every measurable specification. The Intel has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD has 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks are 3.40 GHz for Intel and 3.70 GHz for AMD, but boost clocks favor Intel at 4.50 GHz versus 4.20 GHz. TDP is 58 W for Intel and 65 W for AMD. The Intel uses a 10 nm process from Intel; the AMD uses 7 nm from TSMC, with transistor count listed only for AMD (9,800 million). Die size is 163 mm² for Intel and 156 mm² for AMD.

Cache configurations are asymmetric: Intel offers 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3; AMD offers 64 KB L1, 512 KB L2, and 8 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR4 and DDR5 for Intel, versus DDR4 only for AMD. The AMD lists a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s; Intel does not list one. PCIe support is Gen 5 with 20 lanes for Intel, Gen 3 with 20 lanes for AMD. The Intel has no integrated graphics, while the AMD has Radeon Vega 7. The Intel’s multiplier is locked; the AMD’s is unlocked. Launch MSRP is $109 for Intel and $154 for AMD. Release dates are January 3, 2023, for Intel and July 20, 2020, for AMD.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-threaded performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100F wins the PassMark single-thread test with 3,609 versus 2,653 for the AMD, a 36% margin, and the Geekbench single-core test with 2,056 versus 1,460, a 40.8% margin. However, the AMD wins all Cinebench single-core tests by about 8.3–8.4%.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G includes Radeon Vega 7 integrated graphics. The Intel Core i3-13100F has no integrated graphics, which means a discrete GPU is mandatory for the Intel system.

Q: Which processor has better multi-core rendering performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G consistently wins all Cinebench multi-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 13,593 against the Intel’s 12,458, an 8.3% advantage. The margins are nearly identical in R15 and R20 at 8.4%.

Q: What is the difference in memory support between the two?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100F supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G supports only DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but the AMD lists a specific bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, which is not provided for the Intel.

Q: Which CPU is better for physics calculations?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100F wins the PassMark physics test with a score of 1,055 versus 676 for the AMD, a 56.1% margin. This is one of Intel’s largest wins in the head-to-head data.

Q: Are these CPUs comparable in overall average benchmark scores?

A: Yes, the average benchmark scores are very close. The Intel Core i3-13100F has an average of 17,653, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G has an average of 17,507. Both sit at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, and their nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-14100T and AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE with deltas within 0.8%.