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.The RM1 heatsink is just a larger-diameter version of the heatsink we're used to seeing for the past many years—the base (possibly with a copper core) collects heat from the processor, and the monolithic heatsink has fins projecting radially, in a somewhat spiral fashion. These fins are forked toward the end. The heatsink relies entirely on axial airflow from the fan, while the fins end up guiding some of the exhaust around the socket, where it ventilates components such as the CPU VRM and memory.

The structures surrounding the fan are simply a ring of tinted acrylic that suspend a ring-shaped LED diffuser along the bore of the fan's intake. We don't know if this lighting is RGB or simply fixed to Intel's favorite shade of blue. The acrylic frame is bolted onto the heatsink underneath, along with the fan, just like the fan-frame on the older stock coolers. The retention module is of a familiar push-pin type.