I'm contemplating whether to upgrade my CPU from a 12400F to a 14600K. The 14600K is currently priced at $160 at Walmart, and I'm tempted to go for it. I have a Corsair AIO Cooler and a motherboard that supports the LGA 1700 socket. My current setup includes a 12400F processor and a 7700XT GPU. I've come across a lot of discussions about Intel lately, and I'm torn between making this upgrade or holding off to save for a new motherboard and possibly switching to AMD, since my current motherboard doesn't support AMD processors.
3 Answers
Honestly, you can go either way with this upgrade. The difference between the 12400F and 14600K isn't massive, but it is noticeable. However, considering your GPU is midrange, the performance boost might not be as impactful as you'd hope. It could be worth saving for another year to see what the next generation of CPUs brings before making a leap.
I made a similar upgrade on my gaming rig that has a 5080, and it improved my FPS and overall responsiveness just a bit, but I can’t say it was necessary for me. If your games are already struggling to hit 60 FPS at max settings, you might get a little boost, but since you're not planning to upgrade your GPU soon, you might not notice a huge difference.
Given your current GPU, it might not be worth the hassle to upgrade right now. You might not see significant improvements with just the CPU switch.
Most of my games already run below 60 FPS at max settings too, and it can get frustrating with those frame drops. I'm just looking for a bit more stability.