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The 12th generation of Intel Core processors is about to land on laptops. The founder takes advantage of CES in Las Vegas to present no less than 28 different chips, enough to create a wave in all mobile segments.
Intel intends to be present on all fronts with its Core 12 processorse generation. After releasing a handful of references in November 2021 for stationary PCs, the company has put the cover back by unveiling no less than 22 new desktop versions during its conference held at CES.
This event was also an opportunity to focus on processors for laptops. For this market, Intel has put on the table 28 Alder Lake chip references. Enough to equip classic laptops as well as ultrabooks and other laptops gaming or professionals.
Intel has segmented its offering so as to best target the use cases. The fastest references take the suffix H – the founder speaks of H-series. These chips will equip high-performance laptops such as those dedicated to games or content creation. The energy envelope is 45 W (adjustable by the computer manufacturer) and can climb to 115 W peak. Starting with an 8-core Core i5-12450H (4 P-Core + 8 E-Core for 12 threads), this H-series culminates with a 14-core Core i9-12900HK (6 P-Core + 8 E-Core for 20 threads).
Next come the P-series processors, which will be integrated into laptops in particular. “thin and light” to use Intel’s words. With correct – if not high – performance, these chips benefit from a reduced energy footprint in order to evolve in thin chassis with high thermal constraints. The energy envelope amounts, this time, to 28 W (modular) with peaks at 64 W. The P-series starts with a small Core i3-1220P with 10 cores (2 P-Core + 8 E- Core for 12 threads) and ends on an ambitious Core i7-1280P with 14 cores (6 P-Core + 8 E-Core for 20 threads).
Finally, there are the U-series processors, the slowest in the range but with a reduced energy envelope – we can then hope for a fairly low thermal release. Intel has split this series in two with a 15 W (modular) offer that can reach 55 W, and a 9 W flexible offer for peaks at 29 W.
Intel offers exactly the same 9 and 15 W core configurations. To find your way around, pay attention to the last number: if it’s a 0, it’s a 9 W chip, a 5 indicating a 15 W processor The first reference in this series is a 5-core Celeron 7300 (1 P-Core + 4 E-Core for 6 threads), the last a 10-core Core i7-1265U (2 P-Core + 8 E-Core for 12 threads).
Regarding integrated technologies, Intel was content to give details on the H-series. The processor has enough to manage DDR4 and DDR5 RAM (classic or LP), but limits PCI Express management to 4e generation – not the 5e as on stationary computers. Thunderbolt 4 is in the game, as are wifi 6E and USB 3.
This series would also offer a higher power ratio than the AMD 5000 series and Apple M1 Max processors. It will nevertheless be necessary to verify it in practice and, above all, to observe how Intel’s chips will behave once the power supply unit has been disconnected – a scenario where Apple now excels.