I'm planning to upgrade my CPU this summer from an i5 3470 to an i5 12600k. I'm wondering if I also need to get a new motherboard for this upgrade since my budget is a bit tight. Any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Absolutely, you can't skip the motherboard upgrade. And yeah, you'll also have to replace your RAM as mentioned.
Yes, you'll definitely need a new motherboard because the i5 12600k uses a different socket than your current i5 3470. Plus, keep in mind that your current RAM is likely DDR3 and you'll need to switch to DDR4 or DDR5 depending on the motherboard you choose.
By the way, I'm curious—why are you set on the 12600k? Just wondering what’s prompting the upgrade!
Correct! Just remember that a motherboard only supports either DDR4 or DDR5, not both.