With a 5.5 GHz boost clock and enormous power consumption, Intel's next Core i9-12900KS Alder Lake Desktop CPU will be a beast, but priced above 750 USD.
The Core i9-12900KS, a heavily-binned variant of the Core i9-12900K CPU, will be available in the consumer segment, according to Intel's announcement at CES 2022. This chip has some absolutely enormous specifications because it is geared firmly at the high-end enthusiast and overclocking community. The flagship processor in the 12th Generation Alder Lake Desktop CPU family is the Intel Core i9-12900KS. It will have eight Golden Cove cores and eight Gracemont cores in total, for a total of sixteen cores (8+8) and twenty-four threads (16+8). P-cores (Golden Cove) will have a maximum boost frequency of up to 5.5 GHz with 1-2 active cores and 5.2 GHz with all active cores, while E-cores (Gracemont) will have a maximum boost frequency of 3.90 GHz with 1-4 active cores and up to 3.7 GHz with all active cores. The CPU will have a 30 MB L3 cache.
The chip is currently available for pre-order at ShopBLT for $780 (Tray) and $790 US (Boxed). The final price is expected to be around $750 USD, making the 'KS' model about $150 more expensive than the standard 'K' variant. Those looking for high boosts and all-core boost frequencies capable of breaking world records will surely pay a premium for these pre-binned chips, but regular gamers should notice minimal gain from the 'KS' variant.
Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake Desktop Processors
| CPU Name | P-Core Count | E-Core Count | Total Core / Thread | P-Core Base / Boost (Max) | P-Core Boost (All-Core) | E-Core Base / Boost | E-Core Boost (All-Core) | L3 Cache | TDP (PL1) | TDP (PL2) | Expected (MSRP) Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-12900KS | 8 | 8 | 16 / 24 | 3.2 / 5.5 GHz | 5.2 GHz | 2.4 / 3.9 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 30 MB | 150W | TBC | ~$750 US |
| Core i9-12900K | 8 | 8 | 16 / 24 | 3.2 / 5.2 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 2.4 / 3.9 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 30 MB | 125W | 241W | $599 US |
| Core i9-12900 | 8 | 8 | 16 / 24 | 2.4 / 5.1 GHz | TBA | 1.8 / 3.8 GHz | TBA | 30 MB | 65W | 202W | $489 US$464 US (F) |
| Core i9-12900T | 8 | 8 | 16 / 24 | 1.4 / 4.9 GHz | TBA | 1.0 / 3.6 GHz | TBA | 30 MB | 35W | 106W | $489 US |
| Core i7-12700K | 8 | 4 | 12 / 20 | 3.6 / 5.0 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 2.7 / 3.8 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 25 MB | 125W | 190W | $419 US |
| Core i7-12700 | 8 | 4 | 12 / 20 | 2.1 / 4.9 GHz | TBA | 1.6 / 3.6 GHz | TBA | 25 MB | 65W | 180W | $339 US$314 US (F) |
| Core i7-12700T | 8 | 4 | 12 / 20 | 1.4 / 4.7 GHz | TBA | 1.0 / 3.4 GHz | TBA | 25 MB | 35W | 99W | $339 US |
| Core i5-12600K | 6 | 4 | 10 / 16 | 3.7 / 4.9 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 2.8 / 3.6 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 20 MB | 125W | 150W | $299 US |
| Core i5-12600 | 6 | 0 | 6 / 12 | 3.3 / 4.8 GHz | 4.4 GHz | N/A | N/A | 18 MB | 65W | 117W | $223 US |
| Core i5-12600T | 6 | 0 | 6 / 12 | 2.1 / 4.6 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 18 MB | 65W | 74W | $223 US |
| Core i5-12490P | 6 | 0 | 6 / 12 | 3.0 / 4.6 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 20 MB | 65W | 74W | ~$250 US |
| Core i5-12500 | 6 | 0 | 6 / 12 | 3.0 / 4.6 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 18 MB | 65W | 117W | $202 US |
| Core i5-12500T | 6 | 0 | 6 / 12 | 2.0 / 4.4 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 18 MB | 35W | 74W | $202 US |
| Core i5-12400 | 6 | 0 | 6 / 12 | 2.5 / 4.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz | N/A | N/A | 18 MB | 65W | 117W | $192 US$167 US (F) |
| Core i5-12400T | 6 | 0 | 6 / 12 | 1.8 / 4.2 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 18 MB | 35W | 74W | $192 US |
| Core i3-12300 | 4 | 0 | 4 / 8 | 3.5 / 4.4 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 12 MB | 60W | 89W | $143 US |
| Core i3-12300T | 4 | 0 | 4 / 8 | 2.3 / 4.2 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 12 MB | 35W | 69W | $143 US |
| Core i3-12100 | 4 | 0 | 4 / 8 | 3.3 / 4.3 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 12 MB | 60W58W (F) | 89W | $122 US$97 US (F) |
| Core i3-12100T | 4 | 0 | 4 / 8 | 2.2 / 4.1 GHz | TBA | N/A | N/A | 12 MB | 35W | 69W | $122 US |
| Intel Pentium Gold G7400 | 2 | 0 | 2 / 4 | 3.7 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6 MB | 46W | N/A | $64 US |
| Intel Pentium Gold G7400T | 2 | 0 | 2 / 4 | 3.1 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6 MB | 35W | N/A | $64 US |
| Intel Celeron G6900 | 2 | 0 | 2 / 2 | 3.4 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 MB | 46W | N/A | $42 US |
| Intel Celeron G6900T | 2 | 0 | 2 / 2 | 2.8 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 MB | 35W | N/A | $42 US |
* Table courtesy wccf tech
The Core i9-12900KS 5.5 GHz has base TDP of 150W priced over $750
