We expect to see Intel launching new desktop processors in early 2023, including new non-K CPUs for the 13th Gen Core lineup. Some of these CPUs are already out in the wild, and the first retail sample review of the unreleased Core i5-13400 has gone live, giving us an early look at the gen-on-gen upgrade from 12th Gen to 13th Gen. 

While some units are leaking out early, it is important to note that most motherboard makers have not yet released a BIOS supporting these new processors. However, reviewer Jawara Media (via VideoCardz) managed to get hold of a modified ASRock B660M BIOS, allowing them to run the Core i5-13400 and put it to the test.

To accurately compare it against the Core i5-12400 and the Core i5-13600K, the reviewer used the same board and DDR4 memory kit (16GB at 3600MHz). Just to remind you of the Core i5-13400 specs, this CPU comes with six P-cores, four E-cores and a 4.6GHz boost clock speed.

In terms of power consumption, the newer CPU is slightly more power-hungry than the Core i5-12400, pulling 86W during the Cinebench R23 multi-thread test, whereas the Core i5-12400 draws just 66W. That can be explained by the lack of E-cores in the newer chip. This also explains the difference in results. The 13th Gen Core chip scored 16,094 points, while the 12th Gen chip scored 12,458 points. That's a 29.2% improvement between generations.

Regarding the single-thread test results, the higher clock speed of the Core i5-13400 could be the reason for the higher scores. Here, the upcoming chip scored 1,786 points, and the i5-12400 got 1,692 points. In Blender and Adobe Premiere, the 13th Gen Core was also the clear winner, finishing the benchmarks over 20% faster. Despite the considerable performance improvement across the various tests and the extra 20W consumed, operating temperatures were only 1ºC higher than on the Core i5-12400.

In Indonesia, the Core i5-13400 can already be acquired for about £196 and the Core i5-13400F for £188. In the UK, pricing should be similar once they arrive here.

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KitGuru says: Unfortunately, the reviewer didn't share any gaming benchmarks. Still, considering these scores, it's almost guaranteed that it will perform better than its predecessor, making it a compelling mid-range CPU for gamers.

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