Intel over the weekend stated that it has resolved the game DRM compatibility issues its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors were facing with certain games running on older versions of the Denuvo DRM solution. The company said that it has worked with both game developers and Microsoft, to address the issues. Gamers should look forward to OS updates as well as game patches, in the coming days. In was revealed back in October 2021, in the run up to the Core "Alder Lake" debut, that the processors face severe compatibility issues with games that use certain older versions of DRM solutions, due mainly to the processor's new hybrid CPU core architecture.

A few days ago, we reported a strange Intel Core i5-12490F processor that appeared in the Chinese marketplace. The processor uses the C0 silicon that Intel sits on a pile of and repurposes it to make these odd chips for Asian markets. As we found out, this C0 silicon is a heavily cut-down version, with only six high-performance P-cores present. Compared to the regular Core i5-12400F, it has a bigger L3 cache arriving at 20 MB and slightly higher clock speeds where the base stands at 3.0 G and a boost frequency that manages to ramp up to 4.6 GHz. As a reference, the regular Core i5-12400F has 18 MB of L3 cache, a base frequency of 2.5 GHz, and a boost speed of 4.4 GHz.

Thanks to the early benchmarks, we have the performance numbers in two cases where Intel's Core i5-12490F model is compared to the regular Core i5-12400F. According to the GeekBench data, the first case proves that higher clock speeds of the strange processor, coupled with higher L3 cache, prove to be of help as the single-threaded performance grows by 10%. In comparison, the multi-threaded results show an even more considerable improvement at 15%. The second test shows smaller margins compared to the Core i5-12500, where the Core i5-12490F processor now only leads by 2.5% and 5% in single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, respectively. This indicates that we have to wait for more benchmarks to see how this design stands in the Alder Lake family and see just how big of an improvement comes from higher frequencies and bigger L3 cache.

congatec - a leading vendor of embedded and edge computing technology - introduces the 12th Generation Intel Core mobile and desktop processors (formerly code named Alder Lake) on 10 new COM-HPC and COM Express Computer-on-Modules. Featuring the latest high performance cores from Intel, the new modules in COM-HPC Size A and C as well as COM Express Type 6 form factors offer major performance gains and improvements for the world of embedded and edge computing systems. Most impressive is the fact that engineers can now leverage Intel's innovative performance hybrid architecture. Offering of up to 14 cores/20 threads on BGA and 16 cores/24 threads on desktop variants (LGA mounted), 12th Gen Intel Core processors provide a quantum leap [1] in multitasking and scalability levels. Next-gen IoT and edge applications benefit from up to 6 or 8 (BGA/LGA) optimized Performance-cores (P-cores) plus up to 8 low power Efficient-cores (E-cores) and DDR5 memory support to accelerate multithreaded applications and execute background tasks more efficiently.

Intel today is announcing a slew of new client computing products to kick-start the 2022 International CES. The "Alder Lake" CPU architecture now reaches the biggest class of consumers—notebooks, as well as mainstream desktops. In the mobile space, the company is announcing 12th Gen Core-H processors in the 35 W to 45 W segments with up to 14 CPU cores (6 P-cores and 8 E-cores); and new Core-U in the 15-28 W and 9 W categories; with up to 10 CPU cores (2 P-cores and 8 E-cores), as it detailed in older presentations of the architecture. We also expect the company to flesh out its Socket LGA1700 Core desktop processor lineup with new models across all four brands, and possibly even the entry-level. We're also expecting big announcements to the company's notebook co-engineering initiative, EVO.18:01 UTC: Gregory Bryant takes center stage.

Earlier today, AMD's upcoming mobile CPUs leaked and now it's Intels turn, as its soon to be announced 12th Gen Alder Lake mobile parts in the H and U-series have both leaked, courtesy of VideoCardz. These will be Intel's first mobile CPUs with efficiency cores and every single SKU gets at least four of them. When it comes to performance cores, things are a lot more complex, as we're looking at everything from six performance cores, to a mere one for the Pentium and Celeron parts.

Starting with the H-series chips, Intel is set to release a pair of Core i9 parts, three Core i7 parts and three Core i5 parts. The Core i9's have 14 cores, divided between six performance cores and eight efficiency cores and a total of 20 threads. Intel is aiming for the same 5 GHz max turbo frequency as AMD, but Intel's max GPU frequency is a lot lower at a mere 1.45 GHz, compared to 2.4 GHz for AMD's parts. The Core i7's have two nearly identical SKUs, just with lower clock frequencies, but also a 10 core version, that loses four of the efficiency cores and gets a weaker GPU. The Core i5 parts start at 12 cores, of which four are performance cores, with the last SKU only having a total core count of eight. Oddly enough the two higher-end Core i5's have a more powerful GPU than the lowest tier Core i7. All H-series CPUs have a 45 W base TDP, with a boost TDP of between 95 and 115 W.

For a significant period, Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) series has featured soldered processors on the PC's motherboard. However, according to the latest leaks from Twitter hardware leaker @9550pro, we have a potential Alder Lake-based NUC featuring desktop processor versions and a dedicated LGA1700 socket. As the leaked image shows, it looks like Intel's NUC 12 Extreme edition will feature an LGA1700 socket that features support for desktop-class of Alder Lake processors. If this leak is correct, we could see a compelling NUC solution filled with Intel-only processors, meaning an Alder Lake CPU and Arc Alchemist discrete graphics card.

There is room for PCIe expansion, which means that theoretically, you could connect any GPU to the mainboard. However, it is natural to assume that Intel could force their own GPU SKUs to launch this mini PC. We have to wait and see what Intel presents at tomorrow's CES 2022 event for more information.

Intel is reportedly disabling the rudimentary AVX-512 instruction-set support on its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors using a firmware/ME update, reports Igor's Lab. Intel does not advertise AVX-512 for Alder Lake, even though the instruction-set was much publicized for a couple of its past-generation client-segment chips, namely 11th Gen Rocket Lake, and 10th Gen Cascade Lake-X HEDT processors. The company will likely make AVX-512 a feature that sets apart its next-gen HEDT processors derived from Sapphire Rapids, its upcoming enterprise microarchitecture.

AVX-512 is technically not advertised for Alder Lake, but software that calls for these instructions can utilize them on certain 12th Gen Core processors, when paired with older versions of the Intel ME firmware. The ME version Intel releases to OEMs and motherboard vendors alongside its upcoming 65 W Core desktop processors, and the Alder Lake-P mobile processors, will prevent AVX-512 from being exposed to the software. Intel's reason to deprecate what little client-relevant AVX-512 instructions it had for Core processors, could have do with energy efficiency, as much as lukewarm reception from client software developers. The instruction is more relevant to the HPC and cloud-computing markets.Many Thanks to TheoneandonlyMrK for the tip.

With less than a week to the expected announcement for the rest of Intel's Alder Lake family of CPUs, as well as accompanying motherboards, pricing has leaked on a few ASUS B660 and H610 motherboards from a somewhat more unusual location, namely Ecuador. Courtesy of @harukaze5719, who tends to leak all sorts of things on Twitter, we now have a rough idea of what some of ASUS' upcoming motherboards will cost.

The models leaked are the Prime B660M-A WIFI D4, Prime B660M-A D4 and Prime H610M-E D4, all of which are fairly basic models and maybe the most noteworthy thing about them is how little you get for your money. The Prime B660M-A WIFI D4 is listed for US$191.11, which includes 12 percent VAT, although the official currency in Ecuador is US dollars. That said, electronics are normally more pricey in Ecuador than the US, so this should also be taken into account here.

Intel's upcoming Core i3-12100 and i3-12300 quad-core processors that form the value-end of the 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S" desktop processor family, pack an incredible mix of performance for their segment, which puts them ahead of six-core parts from the previous-generation, according to performance testing on the ChipHell forums. The two chips are based on the "H0" silicon, and feature four "Golden Cove" P-cores with HyperThreading enabled; no E-cores, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. From what we can tell, the i3-12100 and i3-12300 are segment only by a 100 MHz maximum boost frequency value, and possibly at the iGPU-level.

Among the tests run by ChipHell are Cinebench R20, Cinebench R23, CPU-Z bench, CS:GO; and power/thermal testing using AIDA64. Right off the bat, we see the two chips flex their high IPC in the CPU-Z bench, scoring 687 points (i3-12100), and 702.5 points (i3-12300). An AMD "Zen 3" based quad-core chip, such as the OEM-only Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G, should score roughly 620 points, while the slowest "Rocket Lake" part, the i5-11400, only does 566 points. The multi-threaded test sees scores ranging between 3407 to 3482 points for the two.

The pricing for Intel's upcoming 65 W 12th Generation Core Alder Lake-S desktop processors has recently been confirmed by BestBuy when they prematurely updated the pricing on their website. The listings do not include some previously leaked products so some models may be delayed and not immediately available to purchase at launch. The Intel Core i9-12900 is listed for 529.99 USD which is 60 USD less than the unlocked Core i9-12900K, while the Core i7-12700 will retail for 359.99 USD.

We can see three mid-range Core i5 products listed with the i5-12600 for 239.99 USD, i5-12500 for 219.99 USD, and the i5-12400 at 209.99 USD. The entry-level segment includes the i3-12100 listed at 139.99 USD and the Pentium G7400/G6900 for 79.99 USD and 59.99 USD respectively. These new processors are expected to be available immediately after their announcement on January 5th. The complete leaked price list with comparisons to the current retail pricing for the comparable 11th Generation Core chip can be found below.

The upcoming stock coolers for the Intel 12th Generation Core Alder Lake desktop processors were recently uncovered showing the Laminar RH1, Laminar RM1, and Laminar RS1. The Laminar RH1 will be bundled with the 65 W 12th Gen Core i9 desktop series and has recently been pictured showing its full metal design. The RH1 will include integrated LED lighting however it is currently unclear if this will be an RGB setup. This is the second leaked cooler to be pictured after the mid-range RM1 which will be bundled with Core i3, i5, and i7 processors while the RS1 should be included with Pentium and Celeron products. The Alder Lake-S processors featuring these new coolers are expected to launch on January 5th.

Ahead of its early-January announcement, sales of "locked" Intel 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors have started in Peru, with the Core i5-12400F reportedly selling for the equivalent of USD $222. Assuming it has a similar pricing to its predecessor, the i5-11400F, the i5-12400F should have a pre-tax price of around $180, about $15 less than the i5-12400. The retail package is a simple paperboard fare. Inside, you'll get one of Intel's new Laminar RM1 stock coolers.

The i5-12400F is expected to be a 6-core/12-thread processor that only features six "Golden Cove" P-cores, and no "Gracemont" E-core clusters. The CPU cores tick at a boost frequency of 4.40 GHz. These cores are paired with 18 MB of shared L3 cache, and the same I/O as the i5-12600K. As an "F" SKU, this chip lacks integrated graphics. The processor base power of these chips is rated at 65 W, with 117 W maximum turbo power. Intel is expected to launch these alongside the value-ended B660 and H610 chipsets in January.

According to the latest round of rumors coming from tech media VideoCardz, Intel could be preparing an answer to AMD's 3D V-cache in the form of... pre-binned Core i9-12900KS? As per the report, Intel could be making a pre-binned, pre-overclocked Core i9-12900KS processor with an all-core turbo boost frequency of 5.2 GHz. This alleged clock speed will push the processor to some fantastic heights and increase the overall performance of the regular Core i9-12900K processor. With AMD's Ryzen processors with 3D V-cache incoming, Intel has prepared this solution to keep up with the increasing pressure from AMD.

So far, we don't know the specific requirements for Core i9-12900KS to reach 5.2 GHz. However, we assume that Voltage needs a big boost, making cooling and power supply requirements increase. This special edition Alder Lake design should launch around the same time frame that AMD reveals its 3D V-cache enabled Ryzen processors, so Intel doesn't let AMD steal the performance crown.

Quite possibly the first sighting of a next-generation AMD processor with DDR5 memory surfaced on the web. A BAPCo CrossMark Database entry references a prototype processor with the name-string "AMD Eng Sample: 100-000000560-40_Y," running on a platform titled "ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. M3402RA." The chip has 16 GB of memory across 2 memory channels, and a memory frequency of 4800 MHz DDR. The platform here could be either a desktop motherboard, or a notebook. 4800 MHz is an unusual memory speed for a mobile platform, unless it's a single stick of DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM, with two 40-bit channels.

The first notebooks with DDR5 memory make landfall early next year, when Intel launches mobile variants of its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors. This would mean that DDR5 SO-DIMMs are already in circulation with OEMs. If the theory of this being a mobile chip holds true, it could very well be the "Rembrandt" APU that combines "Zen 3+" CPU cores with an iGPU based on the RDNA2 graphics architecture. If however the platform is a prototype Socket AM5 motherboard, it could be one of the first sightings of a next-generation "Raphael" desktop processor with "Zen 4" CPU cores, and a combination of DDR5 memory and PCI-Express Gen 5.

The first 65 W Alder Lake desktop processors have recently surfaced including the i3-12100F, i5-12400F, and i7-12700F which are expected to launch in January. The i3-12100F and i5-12400F are expected to be the first Alder Lake-S processors without any Gracemont high-efficiency cores instead of relying solely on Golden Cove high-performance cores. The i3-12100F will feature 4 cores and 8 threads with a max boost speed of 4.3 GHz while the i5-12400F will include 6 cores and 12 threads running at a max clock speed of 4.4 GHz.

The i7-12700F will feature the same core configuration as the i7-12700KF just with lower clock speeds and a reduced TDP of 65 W compared to 125 W. The packaging for these three processors along with marketing materials have been leaked revealing that the retail versions will include the Laminar RM1 stock cooler. These new Alder Lake CPUs along with various other models are expected to launch sometime in January after CES 2022.

FinalWire Ltd. today announced the immediate availability of AIDA64 Extreme 6.60, Engineer 6.60, Business 6.60, and Network Audit 6.60 software. The latest AIDA64 update introduces optimized benchmarks for Intel "Alder Lake" and "Raptor Lake" processors, improvements for DDR5 memory modules and XMP 3.0 memory profiles, and supports the latest AMD and Intel CPU platforms as well as the new graphics and GPGPU computing technologies by both AMD and NVIDIA.

The AIDA64 product family for Windows PCs consists of three business editions and a home edition. The company's flagship IT asset management offering with hardware diagnostic features is AIDA64 Business, while a dedicated network inventory solution called AIDA64 Network Audit is also available, for a lower license fee. Designed for corporate engineers and IT technicians, AIDA64 Engineer includes expert tools not available in AIDA64 Extreme, the home edition of the software. Today all four AIDA64 editions are updated to v6.60.

All six Intel 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processor models launched to date are unlocked (K or KF) SKUs, which lack a boxed cooling solution. This is expected to change early next year when Intel fleshes out the lineup with at least 10 new SKUs for the retail segment; and with "Alder Lake" marking the first major change to the mainstream desktop processor cooling mount in over a decade; Intel has the opportunity to radically change its cooling design. We got our first hint at what these could look like back in September, and we now have a clear picture of one of them.

There are three stock coolers Intel is preparing. The RH1 (high) will likely go with the top Core i9-12900 and i9-12900F parts. The RM1 (mid) could be bundled with various Core i7 and Core i5 SKUs; while the RS1 (small) could go with entry-level Core i3 SKUs. Here we have the RM1. Back in the September article, we were staring at low-resolution pictures and trying to guess what the heatsink design could look like. At the time we thought that the pointy structures into which the fan is nestled, are metallic extensions of the heatsink's fins, designed to make use of lateral bleed airflow from the fan. The new picture puts this theory to rest. Turns out, those are little more than an aesthetic touch.

Intel is preparing to significantly expand its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" desktop processor series next January, alongside more motherboard chipset choices for the client-desktop segment. These include the H670, the B660, and the H610. The H670 offers most of the I/O features of the top Z690 chipset, but you lose out on CPU overclocking. The B660 is the mid-tier option, and while you still get a formidable I/O feature-set, the chipset bus is narrower. The H610 is the entry-level chipset with very basic I/O, and no CPU-attached NVMe slots. The interesting thing is that all these chipsets support PCI-Express 5.0 x16 (PEG) from the CPU, but leave it to the motherboard vendors whether they want to implement it. There do exist Z690 motherboard that lack Gen 5 PEG (and only feature Gen 4).

The chipset-attached downstream PCIe also varies greatly across the lineup. The top Z690 part puts out 12 Gen 4 lanes besides 16 Gen 3 lanes; while the H670 puts out 12 each of Gen 4 and Gen 3. The B660 puts out 6 Gen 4 lanes and 8 Gen 3 lanes. The H610 completely lacks downstream Gen 4, and only puts out 8 Gen 3 lanes. The H670 and B660 put out up to two 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports; while the H610 lacks 20 Gbps ports. All chipset models put out at least two 10 Gbps Gen 2x1 ports; and at least four 5 Gbps Gen 1x1 ports. An interesting aspect of the lineup is that Intel is allowing memory overclocking across H670 and B660 chipsets, provided the CPU supports it.

January 4, 2022 could be a date of major product announcements by both AMD and Intel as part of their International CES 2022 plans. Both companies will host virtual press-meets on that day, and are expected to unveil several product lines. AMD could shed more like on its Ryzen "Vermeer-S" Socket AM4 desktop processors, possible updates to its Ryzen 5000 mobile product stack; as well as put out some juicy nuggets of info on its future "Zen 4" processors; while Intel will significantly expand its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" family across both its desktop and mobile segments, along with more info on its Arc "Alchemist" gaming GPU. The AMD event is slated for 8 AM Pacific, while the Intel one goes up two hours later, at 10 AM Pacific. We will be live-blogging both.

Intel's next entry-level processor for the Socket LGA1700 platform is the Core i3-12100. Carved out of the "Alder Lake-S" H0 silicon, this processor features 4 "Golden Cove" performance cores with HyperThreading enabling 8 logical processors, and no E-cores. The processor ticks at 3.30 GHz, with 4.30 GHz Turbo Boost 2.0 frequency. Each of the four cores has 1.25 MB of L2 cache, and they share 12 MB of L3 cache. The i3-12100 gets a Gen12 Xe LP-based iGPU, while a variant of the processor, the i3-12100F, lacks integrated graphics. Intel is rating the processor base power value at 60 W, with 77 W maximum turbo power.

XFastest scored an i3-12100 engineering sample, and wasted no time in comparing it with the Ryzen 3 3300X. The i3-12100 was tested on an ASRock Z690 Steel Legend motherboard that has DDR4 memory slots. 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3600 memory and RTX 3060 Ti were used on both the Intel and AMD test-beds. A Ryzen 3 3100 was also used on the AMD side. Right off the bat, we see the i3-12100 take a significant lead over the AMD chips at PCMark, posting a roughly 15% performance lead. Cinebench R23 is another test where the little "Alder Lake" scores big, posting a roughly 26% performance lead in the multi-threaded test, and 27% in the single-threaded test. This is mainly because the 3300X is based on "Zen 2" while the i3-12100 uses the cutting-edge "Golden Cove" cores. AMD hasn't bothered with "Zen 3" based Ryzen 3 desktop processors in the retail market.

Here are some of the first pictures of the 12th Gen Intel Core "Alder Lake" desktop processor models that are expected to join the lineup in January 2022. Intel debuted the series with unlocked "K" and "KF" SKUs, with "locked" SKUs saved for next year. Pictured here are the Core i9-12900, the Core i5-12600, the i5-12500, and the i5-12400. The S-SPEC codes for these processors are SRL4E, SRL4F, SRL4G, and SRL4P, respectively. Our older article details their possible specifications. The lineup isn't limited to these models. Others include the Core i7-12700, and the "F" variants of many of these SKUs, which lack integrated graphics, allowing those with discrete graphics cards to save a little.

Besides these processors, Intel is expected to expand its motherboard chipset options. Currently, Z690 is the only chipset option for the LGA1700 socket. Upcoming chipset models are likely to include the H670, W680, B660, and perhaps even the H610. Intel could use platform I/O for segmentation of these chipsets, besides lack of CPU overclocking support. A big change with the 12th Gen desktop processor lineup concerns Core i5. While the i5-12600K and i5-12600KF feature 6 P-cores and 4 E-cores, the other Core i5 SKUs, including the i5-12600, lack E-cores. The source installed these processors to confirm that the i5-12600 is indeed based on the "H0" silicon and lacks E-cores.

Today, MSI announced the latest lineup of gaming desktops equipped with Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake processor. Based on a new hybrid architecture, the 12th generation Intel Core processor combines a mix of Performance cores (P-cores) and Efficiency cores (E-cores) to maximize performance, increases multi-thread performance by up to 55%, the gaming performance has more than 13% increase compared to the previous generation.

The full lineup of K Series gaming desktops adopted DDR5 memory with read speed up to 60% higher than the previous generation equipped with DDR4. Support for PCIe 5 which is primed to provide speedy and improved transmission. Additionally, MSI has also upgraded MSI Center and MSI App Player. The new MSI Center helps to control and customize your system. With innovation in MSI App Player, it is easier to play mobile games on the PC. The lineup also features 2.5G Ethernet LAN and Wi-Fi 6E to offer faster data transfer speeds. MSI launched 3 models of gamer-oriented desktops, including Aegis Series, Trident Series and Codex X5 series to cater towards all types of gamers.

XPG, today announces free LGA 1700 mounting kit for existing All In One liquid coolers LEVANTE 240 and LEVANTE 360's customers free of charge, offering customers to use their current XPG coolers with the new 12th generation Intel Alder Lake CPUs. Both XPG LEVANTE 240 and LEVANTE 360 are compatible with the new Intel socket LGA 1700, and the new mounting kit will be available free of charge. Customers need to apply to validate on the Customer Support page with the proof of purchase of XPG coolers, 12th generation CPU and/or Motherboard, and XPG Customer Service will contact customers for further instructions. Delivery duration depends on customer's location, and only the materials required for the installation will be shipped.

According to some testing performed by the team behind RPCS3, a free and open-source emulation software for Sony's PlayStation 3, Intel's Alder Lake processors are enjoying a hefty performance boost when E-Cores is disabled. First of all, the Alder Lake processors feature a hybrid configuration with high-performance P-cores and low-power E-cores. The P-cores are based on Golden Cove architecture and can execute AVX-512 instructions with ease. However, the AVX-512 boost is only applicable when E-cores are disabled as software looks at the whole package. Officially, Alder Lake processors don't support AVX-512, as the processor's little E-cores cannot execute AVX-512 instruction.

Thanks to the team behind the RPCS3 emulator, we have some information and tests that suggest that turning E-cores off gives a performance boost to the emulation speed and game FPS. With E-Cores disabled, and only P-cores left, the processor can execute AVX-512 and gets a higher ring ratio. This means that latency in the ring bus is presumably lower. The team benchmarked Intel Core i9-12900K, and Core i9-11900K processors clocked at 5.2 GHz for tests. The Alder Lake chip had disabled E-cores. In God of War: Ascension, the Rocket Lake processor produced 68 FPS, while Alder Lake produced 78 FPS, representing around 15% improvement.

Intel debuted its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S" desktop processor family late last month with only the unlocked "K" and "KF" SKUs targeting gamers and PC enthusiasts, alongside only the top Z690 chipset motherboards. The company is preparing to expand the lineup early next year with the addition of at least seven more SKUs (excluding additional "F" variants that lack integrated graphics). These processors could also introduce more value-conscious motherboard chipsets, such as the B660 and H670. momomo_us on Twitter, a reliable source with hardware leaks, predicts specs and a possible mid-January launch date for these chips.

The lineup possibly includes the Core i9-12900 and i9-12900F at the top, followed by the i7-12700 and i7-12700F, and the meaty Core i5 lineup that includes the i5-12600 and i5-12600F; the i5-12500, and the i5-12400/F. At least two Core i3 series SKUs could also be launched. The possible clock-speeds, and L3 cache sizes for the SKUs are tabulated below. What stands out from these SKUs is the specs of the Core i5-12600. We earlier thought it would be based on the larger "C0" silicon, with 6 P-cores and 4 E-cores, but it turns out, that the SKU is based on the smaller "H0" silicon with just 6 P-cores and no E-cores. Read more about the two silicon variants of "Alder Lake-S" in our older article. The i5-12600 will have significantly different performance and energy efficiency numbers than the i5-12600K.