I’m considering upgrading my Intel i3 10100F for something that offers better emulation performance, but I want to keep costs reasonable. I found the i3 12100F at a great price and noticed that it reportedly provides about 50% better performance than the 10100F. Would this be a good choice for emulation and general gaming? Also, I have a 6500XT, so I’m curious if it would benefit from PCIe 4.0 support. Any advice or insights would be appreciated!
4 Answers
Upgrading to the i3 12100F will definitely give you a boost, but I wouldn’t say it’s a dramatic improvement, especially once you factor in the cost of a new motherboard. If money’s tight, you might want to consider if it’s worth it or just stick with what you have for a bit longer.
Honestly, I’d recommend saving your cash. Moving up two generations may not make as much of a difference as you’d hope. However, I’ve seen videos showing the 12100F gives solid boosts in some games, sometimes around 30fps more. With the RX6500XT, PCIe 4.0 might help, but it’s a mixed bag.
True, the benchmarks could’ve been tested with a stronger GPU, making it look better than it is with your setup. Just be aware that you may not get that same boost.
What type of emulation are you focused on? I find that PS3 games are more challenging to emulate than Switch titles, but both CPUs should handle most PS3 titles at full speed without issues. If you’re looking to upgrade, check out the i3 14100F as well; it’s usually priced similarly and offers even better performance than the 12100F.
Upgrading to a new socket and CPU for just a 15% performance increase isn’t really ideal unless the CPU is practically free. Many benchmarks showcase more powerful GPUs alongside the i3 12100F, which can skew results. With your current RX6500XT, don’t expect anywhere near a 50% uplift in performance.
Yeah, changing the motherboard is a must if you upgrade. Just keep that in mind!