Model: 13400F or MSI MAG B660M Mortar MAX with Wi-Fi and DDR4
Model: 13400F or MSI MAG B660M Mortar MAX with Wi-Fi and DDR4
So, I might have a chance of selling some of my components to a friend who's building a new PC with my help. Current relevant spec: i5-12400 and Asus Prime B660M-A WIFI D4. Either I sell my 12400 ($179 new) and upgrade to 13400F ($224 new and yes, it is released in my country) by shelling out $65 more, Or, I sell my Prime B660M-A WIFI ($169 new) and upgrade to MSI MAG B660M Mortar MAX WIFI DDR4 ($211 new) by shelling out $58 more. Note: all prices are converted from my local currency to USD. Essentially the choices are getting a better board that allows me to BCLK OC my 12400 or getting a better CPU with 4 more e-cores and boosts higher. But, by having a better board, in the future if I could find a cheap used 13600K/13700K, the board would be able to handle it, whereas the Asus Prime B660M-A barely able to handle 150W+ power draw CPUs. I understand that the performance gain for these 2 options are around 20%-30%, but my 6800 XT is being held back by my 12400 in CP2077(w/o FSR) and Spider-man Remastered/MM (w/o FSR). If future games are as demanding as these 3 games, I don't think my stock 12400 would hold up as well. I need opinions on which route to take or not take them at all, I'm leaning towards the board because of the upgradability for future CPU upgrade, but I'm open to opinions. I'm fine with not upgrading as well, it's more of a nice to have rather than a need. Oh and I only game and consume content on PC.
It depends on whether you prioritize speed in games or general multitasking. The 12400F with a 5GHz OC could be roughly 10% quicker in games compared to the 13400F, assuming it reaches around 12 threads (which is uncommon). For tasks outside gaming, the 13400F is better since its E cores aren't significantly boosted by high clock speeds.
Right, I should've mentioned that I only game with my PC, no workloads whatsoever. I was also thinking about future games would be built around PS5/XSX's 8 core CPU, so my 6 core would be in a disadvantage. If future games are built around using 8 cores, would the higher clocked 12400 still do better 13400F? And, do you personally think either of the upgrades are worth it?
The performance hinges on how fully the system is used, especially with the 13400F needing maximum utilization. I think it’ll matter more once you upgrade your platform or consider a used 13700K, which would likely outperform the 13400F. This is just my take—upgrading has been my experience too.
Unless you’re paying a ridiculous price for those 13600ks, these options aren’t great. If the board isn’t that costly, go for an upgrade—since the 13400f is just a downclocked 12600k—and consider the $225 here in India; it’s probably smarter to opt for a used 12600k instead of a 13400f.
Sounds reasonable, thanks for the feedback. As you mentioned, 13600Ks are around $320, which is more than I’d consider for an extra upgrade. I’ve looked for used 12600K/Fs but haven’t found any at a good price. Right now I’m limited to these models, though I think 12600Ks would be a better fit. The mortar max would let me BCLK OC, meaning I could run non-K and K CPUs as well. Honestly, I’m keen on exploring that option.