I am trying to build my first computer ever and honestly I feel like I am totally drowning in all these numbers and letters. My old laptop is basically dying and I really need a real desktop for my job because I am starting a new remote role next Monday and I really do not want to mess this up. My boss said I need something reliable for multitasking since I usually have like 50 chrome tabs open and a bunch of massive excel sheets plus zoom going at the same time. I have been looking at Intel because my brother told me they are more stable for office stuff but I have no idea what the difference is between like an i3 and an i5 or what all the little letters at the end mean.

So I was thinking maybe the i5-12400? I saw it on a list of budget parts but then I saw there is an i5-13400 and an i5-14400 and I dont know if the extra money is worth it or if it will even fit in the board I pick. My logic was that if I spend more on the CPU then maybe I dont need a graphics card? I think some of them have graphics built in but I am so scared of buying one that doesnt and then having a black screen when I turn it on. Someone mentioned something about a K or an F at the end of the name and that just made me more confused. I am trying to keep the whole tower under like 600 or 700 bucks if I can because I still need to buy a monitor and a keyboard and everything else.

I live near a Micro Center in Ohio so I can go there in person but I am worried the salespeople will just talk over my head and sell me something I dont actually need. I just want something that wont lag when I am sharing my screen. Is the i3-12100 enough or am I gonna regret being cheap in six months? I am just really nervous about picking the wrong thing and wasting my money. Like is the 12th generation too old now? I saw people talking about 14th gen but it looks way more expensive. Just tell me what to buy so I can stop stressing out about this...