Intel has announced its 12th generation of Intel Core processors based on the Adler Lake architecture. The chipmaker has launched six new models and these are based on the 10nm fabrication process.
They include Core i5-12600K, Core i7-12700K, and Core i9-12900K. The rest of them will be the KF variants of the aforementioned models where the “F” indicates the lack of an integrated GPU and the K means it’s overclockable.
Other than the all-new Adler Lake architecture, another highlight of these processors is that they are based on a hybrid core design. Instead of using multiple cores of almost the same performance, the new Intel CPUs use a combination of Performance-cores (P-cores) and Efficient-cores (E-cores), similar to smartphone CPUs.
The P-cores take care of more heavy-duty tasks, such as running a video game, while the E-cores are meant for low-level tasks such as running music in the background. Naturally, the E cores consume a lot less power than the P cores.
These processors are designed in such a way that only the P-cores are capable of multi-threading. For instance, in the 16-core i9-12900K, you will have 8 P-cores and 8 E-cores with a total of 24 threads.
These P-cores and E-cores also have their own base, boost, and max clock speed. The 12900K has a 3.2GHz base clock, up to a 5.1GHz boost clock, and up to a 5.2GHz max clock for the P-cores. The E cores are limited to a 2.4GHz base clock and a 3.9GHz boost clock.
Intel has also increased the cache size on each model so the i9 models get 30MB L3 cache, i7 gets 25MB, and the i5 gets 20MB. These processors also support DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0.
As for gaming performance, Intel says that the new Adler Lake processors feature best in class performance that rivals the Ryzen 9 5950X. Intel has also promised better productivity performance than previous generations. However, do note that this is only for Windows 11 Pro, which doesn’t favor AMD’s latest chips right now.
The 12th generation processors use a new Z690 chipset for motherboards and the new larger LGA1700 socket, which means that you will need a new motherboard for these processors.
Intel’s 12th Gen Core processors start at $264 for the Core i5-12600KF and go all the way up to $589 for the Core i9-12900K. They will be available for sale starting November 4 alongside the new Z690 motherboards.