Board and processor pairing options CPU selection criteria Optimal board compatibility
Board and processor pairing options CPU selection criteria Optimal board compatibility
You're checking if your ASUS Prime B660M-A can support newer processors like the I5-12600K or I7-12700K. The motherboard likely needs a Z690 socket for those higher-end chips, so you might need to upgrade from the current B660M-A to a compatible Z690 board.
It would work well with either of those CPUs. Unless you require the additional two cores, I recommend sticking with the 12600K. The VRM on the B660M-A D4 isn’t great, and you might notice some performance drops under heavy loads with the 12700K unless you add a fan. It should handle the 12600K just fine. Alternatively, you could wait for the 13600K release and consider that option instead. I don’t think there’s a strong reason to jump to another 12th generation chip right now—upgrading to a 13th generation seems more practical than skipping to the next one.
I’d wait for the 13600 non-K release since all the non-K i5s will come with e-cores this generation. Why are you upgrading? The 12400f is more than sufficient for gaming. Prioritize your GPU upgrade first—CPU isn’t a bottleneck unless you’re playing at 720p, then just improve your monitor.