Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake
Released in late 2021 and spanning through 2022, Intel's 12th Gen Alder Lake processors marked a significant shift in the company's architecture, introducing a hybrid core design. This meant combining two different core types onto a single chip:
Golden Cove performance cores (P-cores): These cores are designed for high performance and handle demanding tasks like gaming, video editing, and 3D rendering.
Features and Details of Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake
Golden Cove performance cores (Pcores) Alder Lake
Gracemont efficient cores (E-cores): These cores are more power-efficient and handle background tasks or lighter workloads, improving overall system efficiency.
Gracemont efficient cores (Ecores) Alder Lake
This approach allows Alder Lake processors to offer increased performance for single-threaded workloads (utilizing the P-cores) and improved multi-threaded performance (utilizing both P-cores and E-cores) compared to previous generations.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of the 12th Gen Alder Lake processors:
- Codename: Alder Lake
- Manufacturing process: Intel 7 (previously known as 10nm Enhanced SuperFin)
- Socket compatibility: LGA 1700
- Core configuration: Up to 16 cores (8 P-cores + 8 E-cores)
- Threads: Up to 24 threads (with HyperThreading)
- Integrated graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 770
- New features:
- PCIe 5.0 support
- DDR5 memory support
- Intel Thread Director for improved workload management
Alder Lake processors come in various desktop and mobile variants, catering to different needs and budgets. Here's a brief overview of the different series:
Overview
- K series: Unlocked processors for overclocking
- KF series: Unlocked processors without integrated graphics
- F series: Locked processors without integrated graphics
- T series: Low-power desktop processors
- H series: High-performance mobile processors
- P series: Performance and thin-and-light mobile processors
- U series: Ultra-low-power mobile processors
Overall, the 12th Gen Alder Lake processors were a significant step forward for Intel, offering improved performance, efficiency, and support for the latest technologies. They remain a popular choice for gamers, content creators, and everyday users alike, even as newer generations have been released.