We Have Intel's 12th Gen Alder Lake Processor Already Being Sold in China For $1200
There is already a high demand for Intel's upcoming Alder Lake CPUs scheduled to launch at the end of 2021. Engineering samples, better known as qualification samples or QS processors, are already posted for sale for upwards of $1200 for the flagship variant, Core i9-12900K.
The Alder Lake processor architecture is new and quite different from the previous Gen chips. It has an all-new platform, 600 series chipset, a new CPU socket (LGA 1700), and will now support DRR5 memory and PCIe 5.0. Consumers interested in purchasing the next Gen chip would need a whole new motherboard. Currently, motherboards on the market with DDR5 memory or QS chips are limited.
Already there are reports of consumers willing to spend the money on hardware not released yet for purchase.
According to a known hardware leaker who goes by the handle Yuuki-AnS, the Core i9-12900 processor comes attached with a high price tag in China. Interestingly, the prices are increasing as we speak. There are reports that Intel's flagship Alder Lake QS chips are selling anywhere between 6,900 and 7500 Chinese Yuan, which rounds out to roughly $1,060 to $1,150 in USD.
It's worth noting Intel's current Gen Core i9-11900K Rocket Lake processor sells for $550.
Motherboards compatible with the QS processors are equally expensive; B660 boards sell for 7,400 CNY, converting to $1,140 in USD. But, surprisingly, according to reports, these boards have sold out.
The hardware specification for Alder Lake is quite interesting. The Core i9-12900K combinate eight high-performance Golden Cove cores with Hyperthreading support, with eight low-power Gracemont cores. The processor will also have 30MB of L3 cache.
You can always expect improvements in power efficiency with any next-generation processor, which is the case with Alder Lake. For example, the Core i9-12900K will have a 125W PL1 and 228W PL2 rating. Interestingly, the current Gen mates, such as the Core i9-11900K (Rocket Lake), share the same PL1 rating but a slightly lower PL2 rating at 8.8%.
The Core i9-12900K engineering sample or ES will feature a 5.3GHz dual-core boost clock and a 5GHz all-core boost clock on the Golden cores. The Gracemont cores will operate with a 3.7GHz all-core boost clock.
With all that out of the way, you're probably curious about a launch date. Unfortunately, at this time, Intel has not confirmed a specific launch date for Alder Lakes processors. However, rumors are floating around the Internet stating that a late 2021 or early 2022 launch can happen, barring any setbacks.
