Intel Core i9-12900K claimed to be the “World’s Best Gaming Processor”

On Wednesday evening, Intel unveiled its first six Alder Lake-S processors. The initial lineup of 12th gen Intel Core processors includes the Intel Core i9-12900K/KF, the Intel Core i7-12700K/KF, and the Intel Core i5-12600K/KF. These are all multiplier unlocked CPUs for enthusiasts, with the ‘KF’ chips being sold without integrated GPUs.

The launch highlighted specific SKU information, benchmarks, and details on the first 600-series motherboards and DDR5 RAM kits. Third-party reviews will be available after the CPUs and PCs are released to the public on November 4th.

The new SKUs feature a mix of P- and E-cores, base and turbo frequencies, caches, and more. Notable additions in this lineup include Processor Base Power and Maximum Turbo Power. Enthusiast motherboards will run the new CPUs at the higher power limit to maximize performance.

The Intel Core i9-12900K, touted as the “world’s best gaming processor,” offers 16 cores and 24 threads with speeds up to 5.2GHz. It is designed for high-performance systems but may consume over 240W under heavy loads.

Intel showcased test results claiming leadership in gaming performance, with the i9-12900K outperforming the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X by 12% in modern PC gaming. However, issues with AMD systems not being updated may impact gaming performance on those platforms.

Intel also highlighted improvements in content creation compared to previous generation CPUs, with the 12th gen processors showing significant performance gains in processor-intensive tasks.

The flagship Core i9-12900K is expected to be priced at US$590, with the Core i7-12700K at $410, and the Core i5-12600K at $290.

Intel also introduced the new 600 Series chipsets alongside the processors, allowing partners like Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI to launch Z690-based motherboards with advanced features such as PCIe 5.0, DDR5 support, and fast networking options.

Various motherboard manufacturers, including Asus and Aorus, have unveiled new Z690 models with different capabilities and sizes. Additionally, G.Skill has introduced new DDR5 memory modules to complement the latest Intel processors.