Examining Intel Core i7-12700K: Removing the Glare from Core i9

Cons

• Only Z690 motherboards for now
• No bundled cooler
• Platform pricing
• Draws more power than Ryzen

The introduction of Alder Lake marked the commencement of Intel’s aggressive pricing strategy against AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series, with the Core i7-12700K exemplifying this new competitive pricing model, the 12700K outperforms the Ryzen 7 5800X and even surpasses the more expensive Ryzen 9 5900X, all while offering comparable gaming performance to Intel’s own premium Core i9-12900K, which retails at resulting in a savings of. Furthermore, Alder Lake has demonstrated significant improvements in overclocking capabilities, the likes of which have not been seen in recent generations of processors. Consequently, the Core i7-12700K has earned a place among the top CPUs for gaming and remains highly competitive in various applications, securing a leading position in our CPU Benchmark rankings.

The 12700K follows Intel’s recent unexpected successes against significantly more expensive processors, such as the Core i9-12900K competing with the Ryzen 9 5950X and the Core i5-12600K challenging the Ryzen 7 5800X (refer to the links for a comprehensive analysis), demonstrating that Alder Lake effectively exceeds expectations relative to its price category.

It is noteworthy that a significant portion of these improvements is achieved even in the absence of the benefits provided by Alder Lake’s advanced connectivity technologies, which enhance throughput through DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 interfaces. Utilizing standard DDR4 memory and PCIe devices can still yield superior performance compared to AMD’s older AM4 platform; however, incorporating DDR5 may offer additional performance enhancements in certain applications. Furthermore, Intel’s platform is well-equipped for the forthcoming shift to PCIe 5.0, although this transition may lead to increased motherboard costs. Consequently, this may diminish, though not completely negate, Intel’s pricing advantage for its chips, at least until the release of B- and H-series motherboards in the upcoming months.

Intel has taken the lead in supporting DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 for desktop systems, marking a significant advancement in technology. Additionally, the company introduces a groundbreaking innovation for desktop PCs with Alder Lake’s new hybrid x86 architecture, representing the most significant architectural transformation in a decade. Alder Lake integrates high-performance cores (P-cores) with clusters of efficient cores (E-cores) that effectively manage background tasks. The ‘big’ P-cores are driven by the Golden Cove architecture, while the ‘small’ E-cores utilize the Gracemont architecture, both contributing to substantial improvements in instructions per cycle (IPC) for Intel’s core designs.

The introduction of the ‘Intel 7’ process with Alder Lake marks a significant milestone for Intel, concluding a challenging six-year period on the 14nm node that resulted in the loss of its performance leadership to AMD. Previously referred to as 10nm Enhanced SuperFin, this ‘Intel 7’ manufacturing technology has been rebranded by Intel to align with standard industry terminology. While this represents the second generation of Intel’s 10nm process, it is the inaugural application for desktop computers.

Currently, Alder Lake features three premium overclockable K-series processors, along with their slightly more affordable KF variants that lack integrated graphics, with additional models anticipated in the future. The P-cores support hyper-threading, whereas the E-cores are limited to a single thread, resulting in what can be regarded as unconventional thread counts. The Core i7-12700K is equipped with eight P-cores and four E-cores, yielding a total of 20 threads, positioning it between the 16-core, 24-thread Core i9-12900K and the 10-core, 16-thread Core i5-12600K.

However, there is an important consideration. The innovative heterogeneous architecture of Alder Lake necessitates specific adjustments to achieve optimal performance. Tasks that are sensitive to performance are most effectively processed on the P-cores, whereas the E-cores are more suitable for background tasks and threaded workloads. To ensure that the appropriate workloads are assigned to the correct cores, intervention from the operating system is essential.

The Alder Lake processors are compatible with both recent and earlier iterations of Windows; however, optimal performance is achieved with Windows 11, which leverages Intel’s innovative Thread Director technology. This feature supplies the operating system with critical data that aids in the efficient allocation of tasks to the appropriate cores. While Alder Lake maintains a competitive edge on Windows 10, users may experience inconsistent performance or variability, resulting in certain workloads being executed more slowly at times due to suboptimal thread scheduling. Nevertheless, these challenges can be addressed in Windows 10 through various tools, such as the widely used Process Lasso.

In contrast, Alder Lake demonstrates remarkable performance on Windows 11, surpassing AMD in gaming and various workloads by significant margins. Therefore, for optimal and hassle-free performance, it is advisable to choose Windows 11 alongside Alder Lake. While Windows 10 also offers commendable performance, it may necessitate additional manual adjustments in certain applications.

The earlier Rocket Lake processors from Intel featured an identical core count for both the Core i7 and i9 variants, resulting in minimal distinction between the two. In contrast, the Core i7 12700K is equipped with four fewer E-cores compared to the Core i9-12900K and has a boost clock that is 200 MHz lower, thereby reintroducing significant differentiation between the Core i7 and i9 series.

This differentiation is evident in both lightly and heavily threaded productivity applications, where the 12900K justifies its premium pricing. However, as demonstrated in our benchmarks below, the 12700K delivers nearly identical gaming performance, establishing itself as the new high-end choice for enthusiasts. Meanwhile, the Core i5-12600K continues to be the leading mid-range CPU for gaming. Additionally, for those focused on maximizing performance, we have conducted comprehensive overclocking tests, revealing significant improvements not previously observed in recent Intel processors—double-digit percentage increases in gaming performance from overclocking have been rare in several generations of chips.

Specifications and Pricing of the Intel Alder Lake-S Core i7-12700K

Currently, Intel is exclusively releasing its premium processors from the Core i9, i7, and i5 series to the retail market. However, the company is also dispatching an additional 28 models to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for prebuilt systems that are set to launch early next year. While Intel has not disclosed specific information regarding these models, they are expected to be available in retail at a later, yet-to-be-determined date.

Our comprehensive analysis of the Alder Lake System on Chip (SoC) design and core microarchitectures is available here, complemented by a more extensive overview in our article detailing everything known about Alder Lake. Furthermore, Intel has eliminated the ‘TDP’ (Thermal Design Point) terminology from its specification sheets, replacing it with a Processor Base Power (PBP) value. The company has also introduced a secondary Maximum Turbo Power (MTP) value in the specifications to indicate the peak power level during boost operations. Further information regarding this modification can be found here.

All Alder Lake processors are compatible with DDR4-3200 memory and can support DDR5-4800 memory, although certain limitations exist. These processors provide up to 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0, which are primarily designated for storage and graphics applications, excluding networking devices. Additionally, there are four lanes of PCIe 4.0 available from the chip for M.2 storage.

The Core i7-12700K is priced at, the same as its predecessor, the Core i7-11700K, yet it offers a significant increase of 33% in thread count. This processor features eight performance cores (P-cores) and four efficiency cores (E-cores), resulting in a total of 20 threads. The P-cores operate at a base frequency of 3.6 GHz and can boost up to 5.0 GHz; however, the importance of these specifications is diminished by the innovative hybrid architecture. The P-cores are capable of processing approximately 19% more instructions per cycle, and the system on chip (SoC) benefits from utilizing different core types tailored for specific tasks. The E-cores, on the other hand, function at frequencies of 2.7 GHz and 3.8 GHz. Additionally, the processor is supported by 25MB of L3 cache and 12MB of L2 cache.

When considering price as the sole factor, the 12700K stands in competition with the Ryzen 7 5800X. The suggested retail price for the 5800X is, although it is typically available for approximately in stores. The Ryzen 7 5800X features eight cores and 16 threads, which are surpassed by the 12700K’s hybrid architecture that boasts 20 threads. The 12700K operates at a base clock of 3.8 GHz and a boost clock of 4.7 GHz; however, a direct comparison with the 12700K is complicated due to the differing architectures involved.

In terms of performance, the Ryzen 9 5900X serves as a more direct rival to the 12700K. Priced at, the Ryzen 9 5900X features 12 cores and 24 threads, operating at a base clock of 3.7 GHz and a boost clock of 4.8 GHz. Both of these competing Ryzen processors have a thermal design power (TDP) of 105W.

In comparison, the 12700K features a base power rating of 125W PBP and a peak power rating of 190W MTP. It is important to note that Intel has modified the default boost duration for all K-series processors, changing it from the previous 56 seconds seen in Rocket Lake to an unlimited duration. Consequently, the processor will consistently function at the 190W MTP when under load. Nevertheless, the majority of enthusiast motherboards will typically raise all power limits.

For those seeking to economize, the graphics-free Core i7-12700KF is currently available at a discount and shares identical specifications with the 12700K. This makes it an appealing choice for users intending to utilize a discrete graphics card. It is important to note, however, that opting for this model means sacrificing Quick Sync functionality and the integrated GPU fallback, which can be useful for troubleshooting issues related to a discrete GPU. Nevertheless, this limitation is also present in AMD’s competing processors, such as the 5800X and 5900X, which lack integrated graphics options. Therefore, the Core i7-12700KF remains a competitive alternative. Additionally, the standard Core i7-12700K features UHD Graphics 770, equipped with 32 execution units operating at a base frequency of 300 MHz and a boost frequency of 1500 MHz.

The Core i7-12700K is positioned between the Core i9-12900K and the Core i5-12600K. Priced at, the 16-core Core i9-12900K features eight P-cores that are capable of hyper-threading, alongside eight E-cores designed for single-threaded tasks, resulting in a total of 24 threads. The P-cores operate at a base frequency of 3.2 GHz, with maximum frequencies reaching up to 5.2 GHz. In contrast, the E-cores have a base frequency of 2.4 GHz and can boost to 3.9 GHz. Additionally, this processor includes 30MB of L3 cache and 14MB of L2 cache.

The Core i5-12600K, priced at, features six threaded performance cores (P-cores) functioning at clock speeds of 3.7 GHz and 4.9 GHz, alongside four efficiency cores (E-cores) operating at 2.8 GHz and 3.6 GHz, resulting in a total of 16 threads. This processor is complemented by 20MB of L3 cache and 9.5MB of L2 cache.

Intel Z690 Motherboards designed for the Intel Core i7-12700K processor.

Intel’s Alder Lake is compatible with Socket 1700 motherboards featuring the Z690 chipset. For further information regarding the chipset and an overview of the initial 60+ motherboards, please refer to our Z690 motherboard roundup available here.

The newly introduced LGA1700 socket features a larger physical size and a reduced Z-height compared to existing sockets. Consequently, most current air and water cooling solutions designed for LGA1200 and LGA115x motherboards will be incompatible with the 600-series motherboards. Therefore, individuals looking to upgrade will be required to obtain a conversion kit or purchase a new cooling system.

Similar to the Z590, the Z690 chipset features 16 lanes of PCIe 3.0; however, Intel has introduced an additional 12 lanes of PCIe 4.0. Furthermore, Intel has enhanced the DMI connection between the chip and the chipset, upgrading it from an x8 DMI 3.0 interface, which operates at 7.88 GBps, to an x8 DMI 4.0 interface that achieves 15.66 GBps. This significant increase in bandwidth is essential for improving the throughput of connected RAID arrays. Additionally, the enhanced DMI throughput supports the expanded connectivity options of the Z690, including the newly added second USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20 Gbps connection. Further information regarding the Z690 chipset can be found here.

Compatibility with DDR4 and DDR5 memory is provided by the Intel Core i7-12700K processor.

Alder Lake processors are compatible with both DDR4 and DDR5 memory; however, there are important considerations regarding DDR5. By default, DDR5 operates in Gear 2 mode, which leads to increased latency. Furthermore, standard motherboards can only accommodate DDR5-4800 when they feature two physical slots. Consequently, under standard configurations, Alder Lake supports DDR5-4400 on motherboards with four slots, regardless of whether only two slots are in use. The support can decrease to DDR5-3600 if all four slots are occupied with dual-rank memory DIMMs. Below are the population guidelines for DDR5:

Conversely, Alder Lake is compatible with DDR4-3200 in Gear 1 mode across all processors, which can provide benefits in terms of latency and performance for the established memory technology.

A diverse array of DDR5 motherboards is offered across various price ranges; however, DDR4 support seems to be limited to the more affordable Z690 models. Furthermore, in contrast to earlier generations, there are no motherboards that accommodate both DDR4 and DDR5, likely attributable to the stricter signal integrity standards and the onboard power management circuitry required for DDR5. Moreover, DDR5 DIMMs are equipped with PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuits) that manage three voltage rails on the DIMM: VDD, VDDQ, and VPP.

DDR5 introduces the XMP 3.0 standard, which accommodates up to five memory profiles (SPDs) to specify distinct frequency, voltage, and latency settings. Additionally, XMP 3.0 allows users to create and designate names for two of these profiles. The updated XMP profiles are also capable of managing the PMICs integrated into DDR5 DIMMs. It is important to note that there are differences in PMIC designs and quality, which introduces another factor to consider when choosing the optimal RAM for overclocking.

Intel has launched a new certification page on its website aimed at ensuring compatibility between each kit and specific motherboards and firmware revisions. Additional information regarding the new features of DDR5 can be found here. It is anticipated that the pricing for DDR5 will be significantly higher than that of DDR4, with projections indicating a markup of 50 to 60% for the foreseeable future.