i5 12400 or Ryzen 5 5600?

GoogalyMoogaly · 8 Mar 2023 at 21:37

So my SFF PC seems to have died (turn it on and it doesn't post, GPU fans spin up, then spin down, then spin up, then spin down, etc.).

I'm coming from a Ryzen 3 1400 paired with an old 1070. It's only used for light occasional gaming and media duties.

So looking to replace it and thinking about either the i5 12600 or Ryzen 5 5600. Which is my best bet?
Also it's in a Silverstone ML08 case so there is not much CPU cooler clearance (147mm if memory serves). So I need something that doesn't run very hot. I don't think the stock Ryzen cooler will fit, not sure if the 12400 cooler will (does it even come with one?) and is it any good?

Would I be better off considering the Ryzen 5 5500 or i3 12100? Would they be upgrades from a Ryzen 3 1400 (@3.5GHz)?

Thanks.

rare · 8 Mar 2023 at 21:42

I wouldn’t bother with a 5500, it’s essentially the same performance as a 3600.

12100 is obviously only a 4 core part but quite capable. 12400 is a good step up to 6 cores and would probably be what I would get.

Depends how much power you need though, are you playing games on this or just streaming video?

tamzzy · 8 Mar 2023 at 21:54

GoogalyMoogaly said:
Also it's in a Silverstone ML08 case so there is not much CPU cooler clearance (147mm if memory serves).

58mm height
will fit a wraith stealth, but not a wraith prism
will also fit a stock intel cooler

GoogalyMoogaly said:
Would I be better off considering the Ryzen 5 5500 or i3 12100? Would they be upgrades from a Ryzen 3 1400 (@3.5GHz)?

do you have any spare components to diagnose the fault?
if able to diagnose the fault then this will be the cheapest option ofc

andy_mk3 · 8 Mar 2023 at 22:04

5600 and 12400 are very similar performance, so it comes down to features and preference really. Such as the i5 has an iGPU if that might be of any use to you (ie media encoding/decoding).

GoogalyMoogaly · 8 Mar 2023 at 22:08

tamzzy said:
58mm height
will fit a wraith stealth, but not a wraith prism
will also fit a stock intel cooler

do you have any spare components to diagnose the fault?
if able to diagnose the fault then this will be the cheapest option ofc

Why did I put 147mm, I must've been thinking 47mm, but would've still been wrong. I tried the Stealth cooler with the 1400 but it wasn't up to much. I've been using the Prism (I think) heatsink with a Cryorig C7 fan fitted instead of the default.

No, don't have any spare parts I could use other than a spare GPU and some RAM, both of which I tried. So thinking it has to be CPU, mobo or at a push PSU but it seems things are still getting power.

GoogalyMoogaly · 8 Mar 2023 at 22:12

andy_mk3 said:
5600 and 12400 are very similar performance, so it comes down to features and preference really. Such as the i5 has an iGPU if that might be of any use to you (ie media encoding/decoding).

I'd probably use the 1070 if I wanted to boost encoding, although I don't believe GPUs give as good a results as CPUs.
Since it's in such a small case OCing isn't really a concern but undervolting might be nice to keep temps down. Also from that point of view if the Intel default cooler fits and is decent then that might be tempting.

Either way finding decent inexpensive mITX boards isn't easy, so that may also play a factor.

andy_mk3 · 8 Mar 2023 at 22:17

GoogalyMoogaly said:
I'd probably use the 1070 if I wanted to boost encoding, although I don't believe GPUs give as good a results as CPUs.
Since it's in such a small case OCing isn't really a concern but undervolting might be nice to keep temps down. Also from that point of view if the Intel default cooler fits and is decent then that might be tempting.

Either way finding decent inexpensive mITX boards isn't easy, so that may also play a factor.

Yes ITX is often left behind. Another thing to note is that the AMD CPU is more efficient and probably easier to cool, something that will help in an ITX build. I have a 3600 in my ITX and it's great.

Tetras · 8 Mar 2023 at 22:17

GoogalyMoogaly said:
Would I be better off considering the Ryzen 5 5500 or i3 12100? Would they be upgrades from a Ryzen 3 1400 (@3.5GHz)?

Yes, but as said above, try to get a 5600 because it is a decent step up from a 5500. The i3-12100 is a fair chunk slower than a 5600, but will blow away a 1400, despite having the same core count. The i3-12100 performs not far off an i5-11400F. There's nothing between a 5600 & 12400, whichever has the cheaper/better board.

varkanoid · 8 Mar 2023 at 22:43

I wouldnt got for a 5600 in a SFF it will be too hot. My son has one and even with a 280mm AIO its a little toasty at idle. Thats in an ATX midi size case.
Have you thought about a 13400f ? 65w TDP, with my other sons 120mm AIO it idles around 24c. Just picked it up for £218. Really good fast CPU comes with its own redesigned cooler.

Wing-Man · 8 Mar 2023 at 23:05

varkanoid said:
I wouldnt got for a 5600 in a SFF it will be too hot.

so he should go intel as they run cool... are you mad man

varkanoid said:
13400f ? 65w TDP

intels new way of guessing TDP is to not include boost

varkanoid said:
My son has one and even with a 280mm AIO its a little toasty at idle.

and yet mine with a 120mm aio in an ITX case overclocked to 4.75Ghz sites at 38c idel and games at 60c....
we shall await the stock intel numbers

varkanoid said:
Really good fast CPU comes with its own redesigned cooler.

that wont fit in his case

tamzzy · 8 Mar 2023 at 23:06

varkanoid said:
I wouldnt got for a 5600 in a SFF it will be too hot. My son has one and even with a 280mm AIO its a little toasty at idle. Thats in an ATX midi size case

I suspect that aio is broken

tamzzy · 8 Mar 2023 at 23:08

GoogalyMoogaly said:
Why did I put 147mm, I must've been thinking 47mm, but would've still been wrong. I tried the Stealth cooler with the 1400 but it wasn't up to much. I've been using the Prism (I think) heatsink with a Cryorig C7 fan fitted instead of the default.

No, don't have any spare parts I could use other than a spare GPU and some RAM, both of which I tried. So thinking it has to be CPU, mobo or at a push PSU but it seems things are still getting power.

Yeah the wraith stealth is pretty bad tbh and would definitely get an aftermarket cooler.
Shame you cannot narrow down the offending component. If it was the CPU a 3600/4500/5500/5600 would be a drop in upgrade (assuming you have the correct bios/bios flashback)

GoogalyMoogaly · 9 Mar 2023 at 00:30

tamzzy said:
Yeah the wraith stealth is pretty bad tbh and would definitely get an aftermarket cooler.
Shame you cannot narrow down the offending component. If it was the CPU a 3600/4500/5500/5600 would be a drop in upgrade (assuming you have the correct bios/bios flashback)

Yeah, I was thinking if going the AMD route to buy the CPU first and try that, but I didn't update the BIOS to the version that supports newer chips and the board doesn't have flashback.
It's the ASRock Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac and if you look at the BIOS page there's a whole bunch that basically say "not recommended if you're using pretty much any CPU". It was only November last year they released a new BIOS (other than the bridge BIOS) that didn't have that warning. As it happens I was just thinking of updating the BIOS because I was having memory issues, then something died...

EDIT: I do have a Noctua Noctua NH-L9i with AM4 adaptor kit, but I'm not sure if it'll be any good as it's tiny.

Emlyn_Dewar · 9 Mar 2023 at 02:04

Wing-Man said:
so he should go intel as they run cool... are you mad man

The 12400 is comically easy to cool. No-one is talking about the i9 models.

MartinPrince · 9 Mar 2023 at 05:33

I just built a system for my missus' brother and had a similar decision. I put the 12400 in it and it barely hit 60c under full load in CBr23 and this was with the fans always in silent mode ~600rpm with an old Noctua D14.

kute · 9 Mar 2023 at 08:16

I really feel like people try to be budget-minded with tech and it just ends up causing them to have to upgrade sooner and eats the savings up

By this I mean if you're considering a 12400, how much more could the 13600k be? It's such an impressive part that savings 100 bucks to avoid it just seems backwards to me,

For the record I'm on a 7600x(very happy with it, I only game and watch movies) but if it wasn't at the very start of a new socket, I'd have got the 13600k

If you already have a mobo for the 5600x, it's a great part too. But Idk about buying new years old parts

GoogalyMoogaly · 9 Mar 2023 at 10:15

kute said:
I really feel like people try to be budget-minded with tech and it just ends up causing them to have to upgrade sooner and eats the savings up

By this I mean if you're considering a 12400, how much more could the 13600k be? It's such an impressive part that savings 100 bucks to avoid it just seems backwards to me,

For the record I'm on a 7600x(very happy with it, I only game and watch movies) but if it wasn't at the very start of a new socket, I'd have got the 13600k

If you already have a mobo for the 5600x, it's a great part too. But Idk about buying new years old parts

I'd never cool a 13600k.
Besides which it feels like overkill for something that will mostly just be used for media playback. The amount of gaming I expect to do on it doesn't justify going to powerful.

tamzzy · 9 Mar 2023 at 11:18

GoogalyMoogaly said:
there's a whole bunch that basically say "not recommended if you're using pretty much any CPU

It's the old AMD APUs that you lose support for

GoogalyMoogaly said:
EDIT: I do have a Noctua Noctua NH-L9i with AM4 adaptor kit, but I'm not sure if it'll be any good as it's tiny.

That cooler is the equivalent of a stock cooler

Tetras · 9 Mar 2023 at 13:09

kute said:
I really feel like people try to be budget-minded with tech and it just ends up causing them to have to upgrade sooner and eats the savings up

By this I mean if you're considering a 12400, how much more could the 13600k be? It's such an impressive part that savings 100 bucks to avoid it just seems backwards to me,

For the record I'm on a 7600x(very happy with it, I only game and watch movies) but if it wasn't at the very start of a new socket, I'd have got the 13600k

If you already have a mobo for the 5600x, it's a great part too. But Idk about buying new years old parts

Personally, I'd consider this a more pertinent argument with a 5500 or 12100, I'd expect the 5600/12400 to last a pretty long time for light gaming.

varkanoid · 9 Mar 2023 at 17:58

Wing-Man said:
so he should go intel as they run cool... are you mad man

the 13400f is 45c-50c at gaming no I`m not. Thats fortnite, Apex, and the spiderman games he has been playing.

and yet mine with a 120mm aio in an ITX case overclocked to 4.75Ghz sites at 38c idel

as I said thats toasty. Especially when the 13400f is 24c idle. I always aim for sub 30c at idle on the CPU. I've got a 5800x3d and I PBO it at -30 so I know a thing or two about AMD 5xxx series.