i912900K

The Intel Core i9-12900K, sometimes written as i912900K in shorthand, is the flagship consumer desktop processor of Intel’s 12th generation Alder Lake-S lineup. It was introduced in late 2021 and widely released in early 2022. The chip is built on Intel’s Intel 7 process and uses the LGA 1700 socket. The 12900K is an unlocked “K” SKU, enabling overclocking on supported motherboards and memory configurations.

The processor uses a hybrid architecture that combines Performance cores (P-cores) and Efficiency cores (E-cores). It has 16 cores in total—8 P-cores and 8 E-cores—and supports 24 threads. This design is complemented by Intel Thread Director technology to help the operating system schedule workloads between the different core types. The i9-12900K features a substantial amount of cache, including 30 MB of L3 cache, distributed across the cores.

Clock speeds and performance characteristics are tuned for high end gaming and multi‑threaded workloads. P-cores typically run at higher frequencies, with Turbo frequencies reaching up to 5.2 GHz for single-core operations, while E-cores offer lower base and boost clocks. The device uses 125W base TDP with a higher Turbo Power rating under heavy workloads.

Memory and I/O support include compatibility with both DDR5 and DDR4 memory, depending on the motherboard, with PCIe 5.0 support and a mix of PCIe 4.0 lanes from the CPU. The integrated graphics are Intel UHD Graphics 770. The i9-12900K is commonly paired with high-end Z690-class boards and is aimed at enthusiasts seeking strong gaming performance and capable multi‑tasking in a single-socket platform.