Intel has officially launched its new 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" CPUs into the wild, but the mid-range Core i5-12400 isn't with us just yet... but you might want to wait for it.
In some new leaked benchmarks, the Core i5-12400 -- which is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU with only Golden Cove (P-cores). Intel's mid-range Core i5-12400 has 18MB of L3 cache, and will have the 6 cores and 12 threads at 3.00GHz base, and up to 4.6GHz for only 65W TDP.
Intel's mid-range Core i5-12400 will be aimed at AMD's Zen 3-powered Ryzen 5 5600X which also offers 6 cores and 12 threads, but the thing is -- the Core i5-12400 actually beats Intel's previous-gen, but flagship Core i9-11900K -- in gaming benchmarks. The Core i5-12400 is running in the MSI B660M Mortar DDR5 motherboard, cooled by the MSI MAG CoreLiquid C240 AIO liquid CPU cooler.
The benchmarks include some big games including Metro Exodus, Far Cry 6, Watch Dogs Legion, Dirt 5, and F1 2020 -- all run at 2560 x 1440, or 1440p. The Core i5-12400 is compared directly against the Core i9-11900K and you can see that the new mid-range Alder Lake CPU actually beats... yes, it beats... the Core i9-11900K.
Not bad for $180, right?
If you join the Core i5-12400 that costs $180 with a mid-range B660 motherboard and DDR4 memory for under $150-$200, you're in for a very, very potent setup that represents some incredible value for money. We should see Intel's new mid-range Alder Lake CPUs and B660 motherboards at CES 2022 next week.
