The Chinese market is a particularly interesting place to buy a new CPU. The China-exclusive Intel Core i5 12490F has received a price cut. The Intel Core i5 12490F is now available for 1349-1399 RMB. The i5-12490F is a cherry-chip that is based on the fourth generation of Intel’s 10nm process. Although the price is slightly higher than the previous generation, the difference is marginal.
The new chip from Intel has a higher clock rate and lower frequency. This is because it is a locked chip and cannot overclock the memory on motherboards other than Z-series. Unlocked Alder Lake chips can overclock memory to DDR4-4000 and require additional voltage from a System Agent. For these reasons, you should wait for a few months before buying one of the new chips.
Compared to the i5-12400, the i5-12490F offers a slight advantage over its little brother. However, it still lacks the power to compete with its Ryzen 5 counterpart. The Intel Core i5 12490F is more expensive than the mainstream Core i5-12400, which offers similar performance at a lower price.
The new chip from Intel is an upgrade over the i5-12400. It is more powerful than its predecessor but is not quite as inexpensive as the i9-11900K. It is a lot cheaper than the Core i5-12400, but it still falls short of the high-end flagship. So, you may still want to consider this CPU in the meantime, even though it is a bit slower.