F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop i7 12000 processor paired with MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi DDR4 RAM, featuring Intel base and maximum power modes (PL1 & PL2).

i7 12000 processor paired with MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi DDR4 RAM, featuring Intel base and maximum power modes (PL1 & PL2).

i7 12000 processor paired with MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi DDR4 RAM, featuring Intel base and maximum power modes (PL1 & PL2).

M
Math_Games
Junior Member
13
07-22-2021, 11:26 AM
#1
Hey everyone! I'm trying to decide which upgrade path to take for my setup. Right now I have an i5 4590 and was planning to get the 12700K plus MSI Z690 EDGE WiFi DDR4. But that's a bit over my budget, and I'm not really into heavy overclocking. I just need it to run smoothly with maybe a little tweaking. Then I saw the 12700 without the K or F features—it looks cheaper and still gives solid performance for what I use (mainly Resolve editing and Star Citizen). But I wanted to stay within budget, so I upgraded my motherboard to the MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi DDR4. You might think you don't need a Z690 if you're not planning to overclock, but after watching a Hardware Unboxed video about the i7 12700, I learned about its power-saving features. The K and KF chips can draw more power when needed, but other models without those features work just fine. The idea is to run the 12700 at its maximum wattage for best performance. In that video they mentioned the PL2 state on the 12700 would behave like K CPUs on Z690 boards—indefinitely, except maybe a few budget ASRock options. My MSI board seems to handle it, but I'm not sure if it's safe to push it that hard with a budget model. I'm thinking about saving up a bit more or checking if the Z690 can actually support the 12700 in its PL2 state. Any advice would be great!
M
Math_Games
07-22-2021, 11:26 AM #1

Hey everyone! I'm trying to decide which upgrade path to take for my setup. Right now I have an i5 4590 and was planning to get the 12700K plus MSI Z690 EDGE WiFi DDR4. But that's a bit over my budget, and I'm not really into heavy overclocking. I just need it to run smoothly with maybe a little tweaking. Then I saw the 12700 without the K or F features—it looks cheaper and still gives solid performance for what I use (mainly Resolve editing and Star Citizen). But I wanted to stay within budget, so I upgraded my motherboard to the MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi DDR4. You might think you don't need a Z690 if you're not planning to overclock, but after watching a Hardware Unboxed video about the i7 12700, I learned about its power-saving features. The K and KF chips can draw more power when needed, but other models without those features work just fine. The idea is to run the 12700 at its maximum wattage for best performance. In that video they mentioned the PL2 state on the 12700 would behave like K CPUs on Z690 boards—indefinitely, except maybe a few budget ASRock options. My MSI board seems to handle it, but I'm not sure if it's safe to push it that hard with a budget model. I'm thinking about saving up a bit more or checking if the Z690 can actually support the 12700 in its PL2 state. Any advice would be great!