Intel Core i9-12900K: 8C/16T Alder Lake-S CPU should drop October 25

Intel's next-gen Alder Lake-S processors will reportedly be launching on October 25, 2021 according to the latest rumors.

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The new "S1" processors will be launching first, with the Intel 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S" processors launching in full desktop form first -- with the new LGA 1700 socket, and 125W K-series CPUs. Most of these high-end Alder Lake-S processors will consume most of the volume "if not all" says Tom from Moore's Law is Dead, until 2022.

The flagship Core i9 processor will have 8 Golden Cove (GLC) and 8 Gracemont (GRT) cores for a total of 16 threads. The 8 Golden Cove cores are the high-performance CPU cores, while the 8 Gracemont cores are the high-efficiency cores.

• Intel's next-gen Alder Lake-K could launch with Windows 11 in October

Intel will be using its in-house Xe GPU cores, with 32 EUs (execution units) on its new Alder Lake-S processors. Tom confirms DDR5 + PCIe 5.0 support, as well as the breakdown of cores and threads inside of the new Alder Lake-S family of CPUs.

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Intel's new Alder Lake processors will also be the first that Intel will be making on its new and improved 10nm Enhanced SuperFin process node. Tiger Lake CPUs are made on the Intel 10nm SuperFin node right now, but the new 10nm Enhanced SuperFin process node + new hybrid architecture + DDR5 + PCIe 5.0 + Windows 11 + 100% upgrade in multi-threaded performance = oh boy, oh boy, oh boyyy.

• Read more: Intel 12th Gen Core 'Alder Lake-S' launch in November: PCIe 5.0 + DDR5
• Read more: Intel Core-1800 CPU details: Alder Lake-S with 16C/24T @ up to 4.6GHz
• Read more: ASUS Z690 + ROG Maximus XIV mobos teased for Intel Alder Lake CPUs

The new Alder Lake die is rectangular in size, so that means that the LGA 1700 socket will be very different to previous-gen LGA sockets including the recent Rocket Lake-S range of CPUs with the flagship Core i9-11900K processor.

This means that you will need a new CPU cooler for your new Alder Lake-S processor, but it is a move that Intel is doing to better align itself with AMD and its platform-agnostic socket movement. This can change, but for the time being the new rumors suggest Intel is moving in this direction.

• Read more: Intel's 13th Gen Core CPU teased: Raptor Lake-S comes in 2022+
• Read more: Intel teases 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs on 10nm SuperFin for 2H 2021
• Read more: Intel's new Xe-HPG GPU spotted next to next-gen Alder Lake-S CPU
• Read more: AMD will support DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 in 2022, but Intel has DDR5 first

We are to expect a max core configuration of 16 cores and 24 threads, split across 8 cores and 16 threads based on Golden Cove while the remaining 8 cores and 8 threads would be based on Gracemont.

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• eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities
• 2-Channel (Up To DDR5-4800 / Up To DDR4-3200) Memory Support
• x16 PCIe 5.0 / x4 PCIe 4.0 Lanes (CPU)
• PCIe Express 4.0 & PCIe Express 3.0 Support (600-Series Chipset)
• SATA 3.0
• Integrated Wi-Fi 6E
• Discrete Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4 Compliant)
• USB3 (20G) / USB3 (10G) / USB3 (5G) / USB 2.0
• Intel LAN PHY
• Intel Optane Memory H20 (H10 Successor)