Intel Alder Lake Core i9-12900K, Core i7-12700K, Core i5-12600K CPU Specifications Leaked – Up To 5.3 GHz & 228W TDP

The first specifications of Intel's Alder Lake Desktop CPU lineup which includes the flagship Core i9-12900K have leaked out over at Zhihu forums. The leak includes specifications of the unlocked 'K' series CPUs which will be aiming at the mainstream Z690 platform and offer overclocking support.

Intel Alder Lake Desktop 'K' Series CPU Lineup Allegedly Leaks Out - Core i9-12900K, Core i7-12700K & Core i5-12600K

There has been a lot of leaks regarding the Intel Alder Lake lineup over the past few days which is due to the fact that the first engineering samples are now entering the market and more users are starting to get access to them. These engineering samples are not representative of final specs and performance but in addition to that, Intel is also providing guidelines to its partners of what its final Alder Lake Desktop CPU specifications are going to look like.

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Just like before, the Intel Alder Lake Desktop CPU lineup will be featuring a hybrid architecture that focuses on two main core architectures, the P-core (Golden Cove) which focuses on performance & the E-core (Gracemont) which focuses on efficiency. Based on the specifications we are going to list below, both of these cores will operate at a different base and boost speed while TDP values will be determined based on the entire chip and not just a specific core layout. So let's start with the specs:

Intel Core i9-12900K 16 Core / 24 Thread Desktop CPU

The Intel Core i9-12900K will be the flagship chip in the 12th Gen Alder Lake Desktop CPU lineup. It will feature 8 Golden Cove cores and 8 Gracemont cores for a total of 16 cores (8+8) and 24 threads (16+8). The P-cores (Golden Cove) will operate at a maximum boost frequency of up to 5.3 GHz with 1-2 active cores and 5.0 GHz with all-cores active while the E-cores (Gracemont) will operate at 3.90 GHz across 1-4 cores and up to 3.7 GHz when all cores are loaded. The CPU will feature 30 MB of L3 cache and TDP values are maintained at 125W (PL1) and 228W (PL2).

Intel Core i7-12700K 16 Core / 20 Thread Desktop CPU

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Moving over to the Core i7, Intel will offer 8 Golden Cove cores but cut down the Gracemont cores to 4. This will result in a total of 16 cores (8+4) and 20 threads (16+4). The P-cores (Golden Cove) will operate at a maximum boost frequency of up to 5.0 GHz with 1-2 active cores and 4.7 GHz with all-cores active while the E-cores (Gracemont) will operate at 3.8 GHz across 1-4 cores & up to 3.6 GHz when all cores are loaded. The CPU will feature 25 MB of L3 cache and TDP values are maintained at 125W (PL1) and 228W (PL2).

Intel Core i5-12600K 10 Core / 16 Thread Desktop CPU

Lastly, we have the Intel Core i5-12600K which will be the entry-level unlocked chip within the line. The CPU will carry 6 Golden Cove and 4 Gracemont cores for a total of 10 cores (6+4) & 16 threads (12+4). The P-cores (Golden Cove) will operate at a maximum boost frequency of up to 4.9 GHz with 1-2 active cores and 4.5 GHz with all-cores active while the E-cores (Gracemont) will operate at 3.6 GHz across 1-4 cores & up to 3.4 GHz when all cores are loaded. The CPU will feature 20 MB of L3 cache and TDP values are maintained at 125W (PL1) and 228W (PL2).

Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake Desktop CPU Specs

There are the three unlocked chips rumored for the Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake Desktop family and it looks like there isn't going to be any Core i3 'K' series chip within the lineup once again. Following is what the core configuration of all Alder Lake CPUs is going to look like:

• Intel Core i9 K-Series (8 Golden + 8 Grace) = 16 Cores / 24 Threads
• Intel Core i7 K-Series (8 Golden + 4 Grace) = 12 Cores / 20 Threads
• Intel Core i5 K-Series (6 Golden + 4 Grace) = 10 Cores / 16 Threads
• Intel Core i9 A-Series (8 Golden + 8 Grace) = 16 Cores / 24 Threads
• Intel Core i7 A-Series (8 Golden + 4 Grace) = 12 Cores / 20 Threads
• Intel Core i5 A-Series (6 Golden + 0 Grace) = 6 Cores / 12 Threads
• Intel Core i3 A-Series (4 Golden + 0 Grace) = 4 Cores / 8 Threads

The Intel Alder Lake Desktop CPUs are expected to launch in Q4 2021 and will be the first mainstream consumer platform to utilize PCIe5.0 and DDR5 technologies along with a new hybrid architecture approach, something that Microsoft has optimized for its Windows 11 operating system.