12400f vs 5600x
12400f vs 5600x
Hi, in your area both CPUs cost the same right now. Which one would you choose? I understand there’s no upgrade option for the 5600x except the 5800x3d, but upgrading won’t change much for the person you’re building the PC for. Since AM4 motherboards are much cheaper, I’m leaning slightly toward them. What do you think? Any suggestions?
Including the motherboard makes the 5600X more affordable. That version is marginally quicker (only a small difference), but as you mentioned, upgrades are restricted. Note: The 5600X runs slightly better in games, while the 12400F tends to be slightly faster for everyday tasks. Updated July 18, 2022 by Pixelfie
There might be more X3D CPUs on the horizon, but with the 12400F, it's guaranteed that you'll get 13th gen to the socket. Though I do have a 12400F, I don't dig the lackluster old boost logic of it aka the Turbo Boost 2.0. There's no 3.0 on it, and the cores end up scrambling at 4 Ghz all day, rather than actually reaching 4.4. It's still good, but if I had to choose between the two only without considering upgrading the current platform, I'd go with the 5600X. It really depends on when you'll upgrade this.
The 12400f offers a slight boost in speed, yet the compatible motherboards come with a higher price tag, ultimately increasing the overall cost. Some speculate that Zen 4 might still support the AM4 connector, though this seems unlikely. Personally, I don’t think it’s highly probable. The decision appears fairly balanced—AMD usually leads in upgradability but now matches Intel’s performance. Choosing an AMD graphics card makes sense if you already have one, as certain benefits exist. For those without a dedicated card, Intel may have an edge because their chips often run smoother over time due to software testing constraints. This situation hinges largely on the value of motherboard deals for each platform. The competition has tightened considerably; previously it wasn’t. In my view, Intel’s price jump for the 12400f was excessive. They could have increased it by $25 while still keeping an edge. It seems they’ve let that opportunity slip. Ultimately, the 12400f and 5600 are nearly comparable in performance, but the latter models are pricier due to their motherboards.
Think about the GPU you're matching this with, because performance will likely be constrained by that device. In reality, the gap is usually minimal, especially with top-tier GPUs like the 3080 or 3090, making the difference even less noticeable when using models around 3070 or 3060.