Comparing 12100F and 11400F on a mid-range GPU highlights their differences in performance and features.
Comparing 12100F and 11400F on a mid-range GPU highlights their differences in performance and features.
I notice everyone comparing the 12100F and 11400F with powerful GPUs such as the 6900XT and 3090. However, if I purchase any of these CPUs, I won't find a GPU that stands out in the RTX 3050/3060 range. The FPS difference will likely be barely perceptible when playing at 1080p with high settings. So, should I choose the 11400 with its 6c12t? Another benefit of opting for a 12th generation chip is the potential to upgrade to a 13th generation later, since the 12th is Intel's latest and the 13th will use TOCK technology while LGA1700 remains. I won't plan an upgrade for about 4-5 years, as a casual user. The B660 will probably cost more in my country than the B560. Are there other distinctions or benefits? Which one should I select? EDIT: Added suffix F to the CPUs.
12400F and hope low end B660 wont come out utterly garbage. If you cant find a good deal on 10400F combo instead you should just wait for 12400 to come out.
I’d likely pick the 11400 now. Alder Lake struggles with older titles, but 6c/12t offers solid performance. Mostly you’ll be limited by your GPU, even with high-end rigs. Only if you’re on 1080p and low settings would CS:GO feel right. Running a 3050/6500XT with smooth frames means the game is outdated. I’m having trouble finding a title that really needs more than 4-8 cores, especially not on my office machine with a 5900X—unless I’m doing photo editing or AI tasks. Usually I hit the VRAM limit instead.
I’d like to note that most issues have been resolved, mainly because of its mixed design. That doesn’t apply to the i3 12100F. Personally, I lean toward the 12400 model. It’s only about $50 more, and it’s a good investment at around $50. The 12th generation is significantly faster than the 11th, so unless you’re opting for an extremely cheap 11th model, skipping to the 12th doesn’t seem justified. In about a week or two, mid-range B660 boards will be released with final pricing, which could offset the price gap between the 12100F and the 12400F. If you’re really hesitant, maybe wait and upgrade later instead.
12100F surpasses 10400F consistently, even at minimal performance levels. It matches or exceeds 11400F and occasionally outperforms in competitive settings like CSGO. The only mention of it lagging behind 10400F/3600 in low percentages comes up in PUBG reviews. For the 4/8 core version, no noticeable issues have been reported. In recent updates, B660, H610, and H670 models are now available and have been accessible for several days on Amazon. @Gamer Guy I checked my setup with a 12400F plus H610/B660 combo—it outperforms many other builds without noticeable drawbacks. For more details, see the thread here. TL;DR: 12100F matches or beats comparable CPUs without any stuttering, even in games that previously struggled with multi-core performance. The Asus Prime H610M series appears to have a superior VRM design compared to other H610 models and offers better power efficiency than most B660/H670 variants. Thanks to the stable 3200MHz support and Alder Lake architecture, memory performance isn’t heavily affected by TDP limits. This combination makes the H610 an excellent choice for budget-conscious builds, especially when considering future upgrades.
Yes and no. Some options exist, yet many lack announced prices or are hard to locate. Roughly half the announced motherboards have a price and store info available, mostly the ones that make practical sense—like MSI Pro, ASRock, and Gigabyte’s budget lines. The exception is ASUS, which hasn’t released a solid value board in years, so I’d hold off until others do.
It's accurate that Asus was only available five days ago, but they've significantly improved their offerings. Their recent products are now considered top choices for budget-friendly motherboards. As discussed in my previous forum post, when you don't require USB-C ports, the Asus H610M-A ($110) and H610M-E ($100) stand out as the best options for the 12th pinout and 12th pin models. For the 12th pin version, the comparison highlights that these boards are among the best purchases, even for the 12th pin and 12100F variants. https://geizhals.eu/?cmp=2660866&cmp=266...mp=2661037 And in another scenario, the Asus Prime B660-Plus D4 outperforms other microATX and full ATX boards, making the upgrade worthwhile beyond just the external USB count. https://geizhals.eu/?cmp=2660681&cmp=2661026
Disagreement exists around the available IO and VRM choices. Many seem lacking in quality, while some exceed the MSI Z690-A Pro price. The MSI B660-A Pro and H670 Steel Legend appear strong options due to their reasonable cost (around $150). It's wise to understand your alternatives before buying. Updates on pricing should come soon, followed by board stock availability. You won't have to wait months for this information.
So what? The Asus H610M line offers genuine 6x64A MOSFETs, which stands out compared to other VRM setups under $170. While I usually support this view, in this situation I’m not convinced. The pricing and detailed analysis are already accessible in Europe via the links provided. Since comparisons are straightforward, there’s no delay—every relevant data is here for a quick evaluation of the Asus Prime range versus others. There’s a solid possibility that an Asus B660M PRO RS could match the VRM quality, placing it nicely between the H610 and B660. Even if so, the Asus Prime B660-Plus D4 and H670-Plus D4 seem to outperform similarly priced models in most aspects except the count of external USB ports. Of course, the paper comparison of VRMs is useful, but a real test would be essential; it’s unlikely to affect the 12100F or 12400F significantly, particularly with the heatsink on the H610M-A.