Budget CPU
Budget CPU
For a budget gaming setup, comparing the i3 12100f and i3 10105f makes sense. Your friend’s 1060 3gb should handle both without issues. The newer model costs around $103 while the older one is about $67. Motherboard compatibility also plays a role, with Socket 1700 being pricier. Since he intends to use the system long-term and isn’t focused on cutting-edge performance, the newer CPU offers little benefit. He likely chose it mainly because the older one was sufficient and he already had solid results with an FX 6300.
12100f is significantly faster than the 10105f. It's worth the price. Plus if he ever want's to upgrade the GPU later there is less of a bottleneck than going with the 10105f.
Your friend might be open to an upgrade, and a 12100F paired with a solid B660 board provides excellent value. The MSI Pro B660M-A retails around $130, bringing the CPU+mobo total to about $240. This exceeds the cost of a 10th generation chip, though in a few years you could easily switch to LGA 1700 options. A 13700F for roughly $300 would give similar performance with a drop-in upgrade, and the system supports a Gen 5 x16 slot, allowing future upgrades without IO issues. Overall, this upgrade would likely be more economical and offer better performance than purchasing another i3-based system in 2025.
I suggested choosing a model with future upgrade possibilities to avoid similar issues. If the FX-6300 offered a superior upgrade route compared to the FX-8350, we likely wouldn't be discussing this. Your friend could make a stronger case for spending more on his existing setup. In reality, why aren't you both open to simply improving the current system if it works for you? Is a critical part failing and not worth spending more on an outdated setup?
It's not just one issue failing. Most components seem to be deteriorating. Even with a system of that era, finding a suitable replacement would be tough because the used market here is very limited. I understand your point, but only if upgrades happen in 4 to 5 years—something unlikely. The budget is also tight, especially with the extra cost of the card plus the processor.
If your financial plan doesn't support transitioning to the LGA 1700 socket, the 10105F could be a viable option. For those who can upgrade, recommend using a B560, H570, Z490 or Z590 board. This setup allows your friend to perform RAM overclocking on compatible chipsets like H410, H510, B460 or H470. Note that DDR4-2666 speeds will apply, even if the RAM is labeled for higher rates—this is due to chipset restrictions. While the upgrade route isn't as robust, your friend can still increase core count by switching to a 10700(F) or 11700(F) processor later if needed.