Determine based on your needs: upgrade CPU for better performance or RAM for increased memory capacity.
Determine based on your needs: upgrade CPU for better performance or RAM for increased memory capacity.
Hey everyone, on my setup I have an i5 6400, 8GB RAM, RTX 3060, and a 850W power supply. I'm thinking about upgrading the CPU to an i7 8700K or adding more RAM—what's better for me?
Supporting 100$ is reasonable, but most boards are limited to current technology. This overlooks that most LGA1151v1 boards don’t work with LGA1151v3 CPUs like the 8700K or 9700K. For the same price, I’d opt for a Ryzen 3600 + B450 combo on the used market. You can reuse existing RAM or get a new 2x16 module, which is becoming affordable.
Yeah, 6700K... Which is even worse in price floating at 100-150$ easily. Follow @8tg advice and jump to LGA1700. You can get a decent board and 12400F combo for 100$ more which has actual upgrade path, pcie gen 4, and would obliterate any LGA1151 CPU available. Cheaper option as mentioned would be Ryzen 5 3600 with B450 board used at same price, or brand new Ryzen 5 4500 with any B series chipset motherboard.
Hello! With an LGA 1700 motherboard, both the i3 12100 and i3 12100F are compatible. They differ mainly in clock speed and power efficiency. The i3 12100F offers better performance and higher clock speeds, making it suitable for more demanding tasks like gaming or content creation. Both can support the RTX 3060, but the F version will generally provide a smoother experience.
Indicates absence of iGPU or integrated graphics on the chip. Sufficient for RTX 3060.
It varies by board type, but the main distinction is that one model includes an integrated GPU while the other does not. The "F" stands for Fused Graphics, meaning the CPU’s graphics processing has been combined into a single unit. The packaging also notes "Discrete Graphics Required." I’d recommend saving 12400F to unlock full performance with six cores and twelve threads, which DX12 games appreciate. If budget is tight, consider 12100F now and upgrade to 13600K later if possible. Alternatively, look at 13400F or 12600/12600K options.