Is Intel's Core i5-12600KF processor a good CPU for a gaming PC?

Jeff is a first time gaming PC builder and wants to know if the Intel Core i5-12600KF is a good choice or not.

Question by Jeff from Denmark | Answered by in Computer Systems on

Hi.

I am new to PC gaming and plan on buying a custom pre-built system for gaming at 4K. I will mostly be playing games like Red Dead 2, Cyberpunk, The Witcher, and more open-world games. Here is the build:

  • Qwertzy aero case
  • Intel Core i5-12600KF
  • be quiet! Pure Rock 2
  • MSI Pro h610m-b
  • 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200MHz
  • ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 10GB ROG Strix
  • 1TB WD Black SN750SE nvme SSD
  • 850w NZXT c850 80+ gold

I know the Intel Core i5-12600KF can manage the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 fine when playing 4K, but I'm not sure about the motherboard. I know that many times the motherboard doesn't affect gaming performance, but I'm not sure about the pairing of the 12600KF with the budget motherboard is going to affect my gaming experience?

Hi Jeff,

You have a solid build, going off the specs you mentioned above. To start this, I'm just going to critique a few things. I've not had a chance to use an H610 board, but I'm certain this platform doesn't allow any adjustments for memory or CPU. It's also the lowest-end chipset for the entire platform, doesn't have PCIe 4.0, and only a single memory channel.

Is Intel's Core i5-12600KF processor a good CPU for a gaming PC? 01

I don't know your budget on this build, but I recommend you at least look at B660 boards and then follow that by looking at better memory. 3200MHz will work fine, but it's hard for me to tell you the 12600KF is the perfect CPU for this build if you are going to bottleneck it with subpar memory.

I would look for at least 4000MHz or better but if you do opt for B660, pay attention to the memory support, as boards are available in DDR5 and DDR4 variants.

Taking it all into account, with the build as is, you might lose at most 5-10FPS by using the H610 motherboard. Outside of that, the CPU is perfect for a budget gaming build, the storage is good, and the GPU choice is fantastic. I would opt to have you look for a better PSU, though the NZXT option isn't terrible.

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