A generation that keeps its promise
12th Gen Intel Core © Intel Corporation.
Intel is back in the game with AMD. The first benchmarks for Intel’s new Alder Lake processors are in, and they look good. Both single-thread and multithread, 12th generation processors significantly exceed the performance of their Ryzen counterparts. For example, the Core i5-12600K performs 30-40% better than the previous generation i5, but also compared to the Ryzen 5 5600X. And if you want the fastest gaming processor in town today, the Core i9 12900K wears the crown.
Slight drawback, the integrated GPU is wimpy. If all you need to do is plug in a monitor or two for office and video playback, the UHD 770 will do just fine; but for gaming – even the casual sort – you’ll need a real graphics card. On the other hand, Ryzen processors don’t usually offer an integrated GPU, so the UHD 770 can help out if your graphics card fails. Another more serious downside is the performance-per-watt, which remains very poor. Alder Lake processors consume a lot more power than Ryzens, and they heat up. The difference is mainly due to TSMC’s 7nm process compared to Intel’s 10nm process. It also remains to be seen how long Intel will holds on to its lead, as AMD is expected to launch its Ryzen 6000 processors early next year.
⇨ The Verge, Tom Warren, “Intel Core i9-12900K review: you don’t need Windows 11 for speed boosts.”
⇨ Eurogamer, Will Judd, “Intel Core i9 12900K and Core i5 12600K review: storm’s here .”
⇨ Ars Technica, Jim Salter, “Intel’s Alder Lake big.little CPU design, tested: It’s a barn burner.”
2021-11-04
