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Quick Answer
The Ryzen 5 5600 and i5-12400F are within 2% of each other in gaming. The i5-12400F typically costs $10-20 less. The Ryzen 5 5600 can be upgraded to a 5800X3D on AM4. Choose based on which platform offers cheaper motherboards in your region.
AM4: Can upgrade to 5800X3D (the best gaming CPU on the platform), then the platform is dead-end.
LGA 1700: Can upgrade to 13400F, 13600K, or 14600K. More options but none with V-Cache gaming advantage.
The Ryzen 5 5600 uses 65W TDP with gaming power around 55-65W. The i5-12400F also claims 65W TDP but can draw 80-90W under gaming load. The Ryzen is slightly more efficient.
Our Verdict
These CPUs are so close that the decision comes down to regional pricing and motherboard availability. Both deliver excellent budget gaming performance. The 5600 has the 5800X3D upgrade path, the 12400F has broader Intel upgrade options.
The best budget CPU for the RTX 4060 is the Intel Core i5-12400F at around $150 AUD. It delivers 93-95% of the gaming performance of more expensive CPUs with zero bottleneck at 1080p. The Ryzen 5 5600 at $160 AUD is an equally good AMD alternative.
Yes, the i5-12400F is enough for the RTX 4060 Ti. This 6-core Alder Lake CPU delivers within 5-7% of the i5-13400F in gaming. At 1440p, the performance gap shrinks to just 2-3%, making this an excellent budget-friendly pairing.
The Ryzen 5 5600 may cause a minor bottleneck with the RX 7800 XT at 1080p, limiting performance by about 8-12% compared to a Zen 4 CPU. At 1440p, the bottleneck drops to 3-5% and becomes negligible. This is still a solid pairing for most gamers.