Grab Intel's Core i5 12600K for just £167 all-in at Amazon UK
Versus £280+ for a Core i5 13600K or 14600K with similar performance!
The Intel Core i5 12600K remains a powerful CPU for gaming and content creation even in 2024, and offers better value than successors that use the same socket, like the 13600K and 14600K, due to similar performance at a lower price.
Today you can find the 12600K for £167 at Amazon UK as a US import, versus £221 for the same CPU via Amazon UK itself. That £167 price includes an import fee deposit and shipping too!
Looking at the specs, it's clear what sets the (£289) 14600K and (£296) 13600K apart from the earlier 12600K: four extra efficiency cores (that boost performance in content creation workloads but not so much in games) and a maximum rated turbo speed of 5.3GHz versus 4.9GHz on the 12600K.
These are pretty minor differences, given that most motherboards will allow these CPUs to boost beyond their rated limits anyway, and I saw a maximum frame-rate difference of just 15% in Flight Simulator 2020 at 1080p. In other games, the differences were more marginal - around five percent was typical at 1080p, with the gap narrowing or disappearing entirely at 1440p and 4K.
Given the fact that the 12600K is currently significantly cheaper than its two successors while being within the same performance ballpark, it makes the most sense from a value perspective and I'd highly recommend it at this deal price!