Intel introduced the 12th generation Core processors named Alder Lake last November 4th, 2021. These processors use a new socket FCLGA1700 and require a new motherboard with the Z690 chipset. The first tests show a clear improvement in performance compared to the previous generation of CPU (Rocket Lake) but at the cost of high power consumption.
This new generation of CPUs uses a new hybrid architecture with two different types of cores: “Golden Cove” high-performance cores (also called P-Cores) for the most CPU intensive tasks and “Gracemont” power-efficient cores (also called E-Cores) that take care of the rest. These new microprocessors also support the new DDR5 memory standard to improve the computer performance.
The protection mechanisms of some games seems to have issues with this new hybrid architecture. It seems that they detect the two types of cores as two different systems and do not allow the games to be executed. A list of games affected by these problems is available on Intel’s website at the following page:
These games will need to be updated in order to work properly with Alder Lake CPUs but a simple solution exists nevertheless: it consists in deactivating the power-efficient cores in the computer BIOS for the execution of these games. The steps describing how to implement this solution are available on the following page:
Numerous tests seem however to indicate that the new Alder Lake processors are excellent CPUs for video games.
Intel has announced 6 Alder Lake processors so far, but additional CPUs should appear in the next few months. You can click the CPU names in the following table to access their detailed specifications:
| CPU Name | Cores (Threads) | Base frequency (Boost) |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5-12600K | 10 (16) | 3.7 GHz (4.9 GHz) |
| Intel Core i5-12600KF | 10 (16) | 3.7 GHz (4.9 GHz) |
| Intel Core i7-12700K | 12 (20) | 3.6 GHz (5.0 GHz) |
| Intel Core i7-12700KF | 12 (20) | 3.6 GHz (5.0 GHz) |
| Intel Core i9-12900K | 16 (24) | 3.2 GHz (5.2 GHz) |
| Intel Core i9-12900KF | 16 (24) | 3.2 GHz (5.2 GHz) |
