Is Intel Core i3 Good for Rendering?

If you are thinking about doing rendering and 3D modeling on a budget, Intel’s 13th Gen Raptor Lake Core i3 is a wonderful choice. Yes, core i3 is good for 3D modeling and rendering, but that is if you are going to pair it up with a good GPU and supporting hardware. 

Popular 3D rendering software like Lumion, Blender, and 3Ds Max are hardware-intensive software. They require a high-speed, robust processor and graphics unit to put out stunning 3D models. 

So, if that is what’s on your mind, this blog is for you. We will go over the latest and most stable edition of Core i3, the 13th generation. Without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Intel 13th Gen Overview

The Intel 13th Gen offers a massive performance boost over the last edition, the 12th Gen. It comes with 14 cores, out of which 6 are performance cores, 8 are efficient cores, and up to 20 threads.

The performance cores can reach up to 5.1 GHz speeds with Intel thermal velocity Boost, and the Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.07 further enhances the performance. On the other hand, the efficiency cores power up the Intel smart L3 cache, which makes performance more efficient. 

The best features of the Intel 13th Gen are as follows:

Performance Hybrid Architecture

The 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor promotes performance hybrid architecture with up to 8 performance cores and up to 16 efficient cores. It is coupled with Intel thread director 2. 

Powerful Creating Experience

The 13th Gen Core i3 processors include impressive performance cores and efficient cores that support DDR4 and DDR5 rams, and PCIe 4.0 and 5.0. It enables superior multitasking and great configurability.

Everyday Customizability

Intel’s 13th Gen Core i3 processors provide a flexible architecture and robust tools for ultimate customization for gaming and workloads.

Now that you have an overview of the 13th Gen Intel core processors, we will go over the specifications of the two most affordable Core i3 models.

Specifications	Core i3 13100	Core i3 13100T
Processor Model	i3 13100	i3 13100T
Product Model	Core i3	Core i3
Lithography	Intel 7	Intel 7
Total number of cores	4	4
Number of Performance Cores	4	4
Number of Efficient Cores	0	0
Total Threads	8	8
Performance cores Base Speed	3.4 GHz	2.5 GHz
Performance cores Turbo Boost Frequency	4.5 GHz	4.2 GHz
Efficient Cores Base Speed	N/A	N/A
Efficient Cores Turbo Boost Frequency	N/A	N/A
Total Cache	12 MB Intel Smart Cache	12 MB Intel Smart Cache
Total L2 Cache	5.0 MB	5.0 MB
Base Frequency TDP	60 W	35 W
Maximum Turbo Speed	89 W	69 W
Built-in Graphics	Yes, available	Yes, available
Graphics processor	Intel UHD Graphics 730	Intel UHD Graphics 730
Graphics Base Speed	300 MHz	300 MHz
Graphics Max Dynamic Speed	1.50 GHz	1.50 GHz
Maximum Resolution Supported (HDMI)	4096 x 2160 at 60 Hz	4096 x 2160 at 60 Hz
Maximum Resolution Supported (DP)	7680 x 4320 at 60 Hz	7680 x 4320 at 60 Hz
Maximum Resolution Supported (eDP)	5120 x 3200 at 120 Hz	5120 x 3200 at 120 Hz
PCI Express	4.0 and 5.0	4.0 and 5.0
Maximum number of PCIe Lanes	20	20
Supported Sockets	LGA1700	LGA 1700
Maximum Temperature at T Junction	100 degrees Celsius	100 degrees Celsius
Maximum Memory Supported	192 GB	192 GB
Memory Types Supported	Up to DDR4 3200 MHzUp to DDR5 4800 MHz	Up to DDR4 3200 MHzUp to DDR5 4800 MHz
Maximum number of Memory Channels	2	2
Maximum Memory Bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
Passmark Score	14,725	13,210

Benchmarking Results

Both Intel Core i3 13100 and 13100T are great budget-friendly options for rendering. However, it is best to see the numbers before we decide anything ourselves. 

First, we benchmarked the two processors against each other, and these are the results we got:

	Intel Core i3 13100	Intel Core i3 13100T
CPU Mark Rating	14715	13175
CPU Value (Mark/Price)	114.4	98.3
Geekbench 6 (single core)	2272 (100%)	2134 (94%)
Geekbench 6 (multi core)	7843 (100%)	6604 (83%)

Comparisons With Other Processors

Now, let us see how both processors hold up against other processors.

First against Intel Processors:

We checked five processors, and these are the results we got. 

Processors	Geekbench (single core)	Geekbench (multi core)
Intel Core i3 13100 (3.4 GHz – 4 cores)	2255	7346
Intel Core i3 13100 TE (2.4 GHz – 4 cores)	1824	6261
Intel Core i5 13500 TE (1.3 GHz – 14 cores)	1816	11079
Intel Core i3 13100T (2.5 GHz – 4 cores)	1703	4928
Intel Core i5 13500 E (2.4 GHz – 14 cores)	1668	10243
Intel Core i9 13900 E (1.8 GHz – 24 cores)	1505	8837

Against Other Processors:

Processors	Average CPU Mark	CPU Value (Mark/Price)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	21912	140.1
Intel Core i9 9900K (3.6 GHz)	18331	32.44
AMD Ryzen 5 3600	17771	212.85
Apple M2 8 Core 3500 MHz	15398	N/A
Intel Core i3 13100	14715	N/A
Apple M1 8 Core 3200 MHz	14183	N/A
Intel Core i3 13100T	13175	98.32

Our Recommendation for Supporting Hardware

Motherboard – Gigabyte B760 Gaming X AX

Great design, performance, and value for money with DDR5 and WiFi 6E support.

RAM – Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3200 MHz 4 x 8 GB (32GB)

Excellent performance and reasonably budget-friendly.

Samsung DDR5 4800 MHz 2 x 16 GB (32 GB)

Good DDR5 performance and great OC potential.

GPU – Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB GDDR6 128 bit

Powerful entry-level card with 1080p support.

AMD Radeon RX 7600 8 GB GDDR6 128 bit

Great price-to-performance ratio with multiple powerful features.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB GDDR6 192 bit

Good option for future-proofing with enough rendering power.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB GDDR6 128-bit

Superb 1080p performance with ray tracing and DLSS 3 support.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 to 8GB GDDR6 128-bit

Solid gaming and rendering performance with several powerful features.

Final Takeaway

Although these might not be the best choice, the Intel 13th-generation processors can certainly help you start with rendering. Also, it might take some time for these processors to dish out renders, but that is a sacrifice you may have to make. 

However, you can pair them up with powerful RAM and GPU to increase performance and seamlessly pass through 3D modeling and rendering work. We have listed our recommendations for the best-supporting hardware. 

Now, the final choice is for you to make.

Good Luck and Happy Rendering!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best features of the Core i3 processors?

It comes with four processors, supports multithreading, good cache memory, and core speed.

What are some benefits of Core i3 processors?

The biggest advantage is the affordability. It comes at a low price but offers great performance. Also, you can pair it up with powerful supporting hardware for even more performance increase.

Can you play games on the Core i3 processor?

Although the latest Intel Core i3 13 Gen processor has enough power to run some games on ideal settings, it is better to pair it up with a decent GPU for maximum performance. 

Is Core i3 suitable for coding and programming?

Yes, the Intel Core i3 processor has enough specifications to handle programming. It also supports turbo boost, which can further increase the performance. 

Can Core i3 handle online gaming and video streaming simultaneously?

Yes, the latest 13 Gen Intel Core i3 processor can easily handle online gaming and video streaming at the same time. However, you must have a sufficient internet connection. 

Is Core i3 suitable for 3D modeling and rendering?

Yes, it can handle low-level 3D modeling and rendering. However, for complex and intensive 3D rendering, you may require a decent GPU and turbo boost. To work with real-time rendering of bigger projects and high polygon count, we recommend you upgrade to a minimum core i7 processor.