I'm considering upgrading my CPU from an i5-12400 to an i5-14600K since I play a lot of heavily modded Bethesda games, which I've heard can be quite CPU intensive. Walmart has the i5-14600K on sale for $164, and it comes with some games—Dying Light: The Beast and Civ 7. My GPU is a 9060XT with 16GB of VRAM, and I also want to know if this upgrade is worthwhile, especially since I'm currently using DDR4 RAM. Here's the link to my build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qyWTgn
5 Answers
You could probably sell your old CPU, which would make the upgrade even cheaper!
Definitely a good move to upgrade! Since you're coming from a 12400, the jump to 14600K is significant. If you weren't interested in those games, it might not be worth it, but since you are, it's a good deal. Just keep in mind, if you had a better CPU like a 12600K, it might not be as attractive.
That deal is awesome, especially since you're into the games included in the package!
Absolutely go for it!
It's a solid upgrade, especially if you're getting limited by your CPU in games. Just make sure your cooler can handle the new chip—if you’re on the stock Intel cooler, consider getting something beefier, like a dual tower cooler, to keep it cool under load.
I’m mainly interested in Dying Light: The Beast, Civ 7 is a bonus! But would I need a new cooler as well?