Selling at 10,850k with a 13-gen build – worth considering?
Selling at 10,850k with a 13-gen build – worth considering?
Because I struggled with these silicon lottery chips, I’m considering selling them for about 350€ and possibly targeting the 13th generation. Is a 13600k or 13700k worth it compared to the 10th generation i9? Should I upgrade to the older chip or keep going with the newer one? I’m thinking about getting a used or mid-range 12th generation Z690 board and using an DDR4 4000 32GB CL18 (2x16) to cut costs. Should I do that? If yes, which option is better and why? Or should I stick with the 10th generation i9? I’m curious about using DDR5 if it’s worth the extra expense. I plan to use the 13th generation not just for gaming but also for Photoshop and video editing. My idea is that a 13th generation i7 or i5 might be easier to cool and more efficient than the older i9, especially since my old chip got very hot and power-hungry, requiring a 420mm air cooler. It could also help with performance even on DDR4. Thanks in advance for your advice!
Your current CPU seems sufficient for what you need right now. Upgrading might not be necessary, but both options are reasonable choices. Consider keeping your DDR4 memory. DDR5 could be limiting unless you plan to upgrade later—opting for a 5600 MHz or higher with solid RAM support makes more sense today. Buying now doesn’t seem wise because you can wait a year or two and get better kits at a lower cost.
13th gen offers better cooling and efficiency. You almost laughed at my reaction... It's significantly worse in both cooling and power consumption compared to the 10th gen. Two of my friends use 13th gen CPUs (13600k and 13700k) and they're drawing over 300W each while staying cool with 360 rads. Air cooling on this generation is essentially unusable for heavy tasks like photo editing or long gaming sessions. P.S., if you're in Europe, keep in mind electricity rates will vary based on your usage. With such a powerful CPU, monthly costs could reach €100 to €200 just for the machine itself, depending on your location. If you play games for about four hours a day over 30 days, that CPU alone might cost around €7 per month just for electricity... all because of the CPU by itself. Given the prices, it's likely this will more than double in cost.