Pricing for Alder Lake leaks, and it looks like it can burn a hole in your wallet

[nanoguy]

In brief: If the latest leaks are proven correct, people who have been planning to upgrade or build a new PC based on Intel's Alder Lake platform will have to pay a hefty price for the privilege. And that's not even accounting for scalpers, which could send retail prices into the stratosphere.

Alder Lake is poised to be the most exciting family of Intel processors in recent years, after several iterations that have been stuck on the same 14 nm process node as Skylake and more or less the same overall recipe. Rocket Lake was supposed to represent a fundamental break from the past, but it didn't quite capture the interest of consumers in the way the company wanted.

As we're getting closer to the arrival of Alder Lake's first wave, early benchmarks indicate Intel might finally have some promising CPUs for gamers and enthusiasts. And thanks to a tiny slip-up at European and US retailers spotted by @momomo_us, we now know what to expect in terms of pricing for the new processors, as well as some new bits about their specifications.

Model	European Price (w/ VAT)	US Price (w/o VAT)	Cores/Threads	L3 Cache Size
Core i9-12900K	€736/€741	$705	16/24	30MB
Core i7-12900KF	€704/€708	$674	16/24	30MB
Core i7-12700K	€524/€520	$495	12/20	25MB
Core i7-12700KF	€492/€487	$464	12/20	25MB
Core i5-12600K	€365/€358	$343	10/16	16MB
Core i5-12600KF	€333/€326	$312	10/16	16MB

The leak suggests the flagship Core i9-12900K will offer a combination of eight Golden Cove performance cores and eight Gracemont efficiency cores at a price that's higher than the $610/€523 list price for the Core i9-11900K, but also lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which is currently listed at $749/€789 on Amazon.

The same can't be said about the 12th-gen Core i7 and Core i5 parts. For instance, the Core i7-12700K will be priced higher than both the Core i7-11700K and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X. The same applies to the Core i5-12600K, which will be more expensive than the Core i5-11600k and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X.

For people who don't need the iGPU, Intel will have KF variants available at around $30/€30 cheaper. Of course, we're comparing leaked prices with actual list prices, but it looks like Intel is more confident about its more mainstream Alder Lake CPU models. If the performance uplift is indeed high enough to warrant the higher price, then Alder Lake may seem a bargain when it launches next month.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that Alder Lake CPUs can only be slotted into new motherboards equipped with an LGA 1700 socket, an additional expense for those looking to upgrade from an older platform. And if you're planning to become an early adopter of DDR5 memory, be prepared to pay a hefty price for that, too. On the other hand, Noctua cooler owners can get a free mounting kit for Alder Lake CPUs in both standard chrome and Chromax versions.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91109-pricing-alder-lake-leaks-looks-like-can-burn.html

 

[Dimitriid]

They must be very confident that they'll outperform AMD. Well at least Ryzen 5000 chips I am not sure they'll be able to also set the bar at or ahead of Ryzen 6000.

 

[Achaios]

Thanks but no, thanks. Don't need a 500W CPU.

 

[Adi6293]

AMD put the prices up because they were faster than Intel, now Intel is doing the same because they must believe they can beat Ryzen 5000, I wonder if AMD will respond with another price hike if the refreshed Ryzen 5000 beats 12th gen.....

 

[Geralt]

Intel as usual.

 

[Kosmoz]

They must be very confident that they'll outperform AMD. Well at least Ryzen 5000 chips I am not sure they'll be able to also set the bar at or ahead of Ryzen 6000.

Which one is Ryzen 6000?

Because as I see it, first will come Zen3+, which is Alder Lake's real competition 1-2 months later and then 6-8 months later, Zen4.

AMD put the prices up because they were faster than Intel, now Intel is doing the same because they must believe they can beat Ryzen 5000, I wonder if AMD will respond with another price hike if the refreshed Ryzen 5000 beats 12th gen.....

If GPU prices in the last year (at least) are some kind of example, anything is possible. But not as crazy though... Maybe as high as $1000, but when Zen4 comes, not sooner.

As I said somewhere else this is how Alder Lake looks right now:

Not only Alder Lake will be more expensive (than Rocket Lake), but will also consume more power than Zen3, so it will be hotter, so you will need better cooling than on Zen3, the motherboards will be more expensive too, because they support PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 and the DDR5 itself will be more expensive than DDR4.
Now do the math of how much more expensive an Alder Lake PC will cost vs a Zen3 one, only to be marginally better 1 year later... and then comes Zen3+, it's real adversary.
Yeah, I'm glad I'm on AM4 and can upgrade again on this platform to Zen3+ with V-Cache, without changing/buying anything else other than the CPU and updating the BIOS.

So unless the reviews will come up with some major PRO for Alder Lake I don't see this getting any better...

Also I don't see anyone talking about this important thing:
How much is the actual performance increase in the CPU itself and how much bonus performance will it get from Win11 scheduler and DDR5?

I bet it's at least 5% if not 10% or more, that bonus performance.

Zen3 will make no difference if it will run Win10 or 11 and it can't run DDR5, but Alder Lake on Win10 + DDR4 vs Win11 + DDR5, that should be very interesting...

We might see a case where Alder Lake on Win11 + DDR5 bets Zen3, but Alder Lake on Win10 + DDR4 does not and that will be funny.

And then comes Zen3+.

 

[R00sT3R]

Ouch!

That would work out about $1500-$1600 (assuming you can buy any of it at MSRP!) to do a full upgrade from my current 9900K rig:

12900K $700
Z690 Motherboard $350 (guesstimate)
32GB DDR5 4000 $200-$300 (guesstimate)
LGA 1700 Compatible Cooler $80 (Air) $150 (AIO)
GEN 4 NVMe 1Tb (OS Boot) $250

 

[Farkinell]

Single-thread performance on the “performance” cores vs Zen 3 is going to be key. Otherwise 10 cores where only 8 are firing on all cylinders, with 2 “efficiency” cores which aren’t much needed on a desktop, won’t be that competitive.

 

[hahahanoobs]

To anyone wondering where DDR4 will be used, it will be the non Z boards. Only Z690 has DDR5 support.

And afaik the 16 cpu PCIe 5 lanes can be split to use 8 for GPU and the remaining lanes for 2 gen 4 NVMe drives. Another 4 gen 4 lanes natively from cpu (16 gen 5 + 4 gen 4). So 3 full speed gen 4 NVMe drives and "full speed PCIe 4" for GPU should be possible.

 

[Dimitriid]

Which one is Ryzen 6000?

Because as I see it, first will come Zen3+, which is Alder Lake's real competition 1-2 months later and then 6-8 months later, Zen4.

Zen 3+ I think, unless AMD does something different and doesn't launches those as it's own series.

That is to say I think Alder Lake might surpass Zen 3 but probably not Zen 3+

 

[Sausagemeat]

Intel are clearly not very happy with having to play AMDs normal role of budget champions for the last 12 months and are aiming for the premium end of the market.

 

[Lionvibez]

Single-thread performance on the “performance” cores vs Zen 3 is going to be key. Otherwise 10 cores where only 8 are firing on all cylinders, with 2 “efficiency” cores which aren’t much needed on a desktop, won’t be that competitive.

From the leaked scores which we still need to take with a grain of salt the ST performance looks to be faster 5-10% but slower in MT. So I'm not seeing AMD's refresh having a problem dealing with ADL.

 

[Kosmoz]

Zen 3+ I think, unless AMD does something different and doesn't launches those as it's own series.

That is to say I think Alder Lake might surpass Zen 3 but probably not Zen 3+

They should launch Zen3+ as 6000 series, because a +15% average increase in performance warrants such a decision. Zen+ had less than that if I remember correctly and was it's own series.

There are some anti-AMD people that say that only Ryzen 9s will benefit from V-Cache (because reasons), but I've seen no official info, nor leaks to support that theory. Just because Lisa showed a Ryzen 9 prototype with V-Cache does not mean it's gonna be limited to those only. In their wet dreams they would like that to happen...

I fully expect a full stack from top to bottom to counter Alder Lake on all tiers. Just like RDNA2 has Infinity Cache on all tiers, so will Zen3+ have V-Cache on all tiers (even though the tech is not exactly the same) - the strategy is the same: more cache = better gaming performance, for both CPUs and GPUs.

 

[Dimitriid]

They should launch Zen3+ as 6000 series, because a +15% average increase in performance warrants such a decision. Zen+ had less than that if I remember correctly and was it's own series.

There are some anti-AMD people that say that only Ryzen 9s will benefit from V-Cache (because reasons), but I've seen no official info, nor leaks to support that theory. Just because Lisa showed a Ryzen 9 prototype with V-Cache does not mean it's gonna be limited to those only. In their wet dreams they would like that to happen...

I fully expect a full stack from top to bottom to counter Alder Lake on all tiers. Just like RDNA2 has Infinity Cache on all tiers, so will Zen3+ have V-Cache on all tiers (even though the tech is not exactly the same) - the strategy is the same: more cache = better gaming performance, for both CPUs and GPUs.

Also I am sure that AMD and Lisa have taken into account the current situation of the shortages and supply issues: It's why it took them so long to bring out the 6600 xt and why there's no mention any Ryzen 3 chips of any kind so far: If there's limited supply they might as well go for the most profitable chips the market can bear at the moment

 

[Haaky]

I wouldn't sweat it, we are never gonna get these chips at MSRP anyways.
Scum bag scalpers will buy them up, charge 3x 4x what there worth.

Pretty simple solution. Flog the scalpers

 

[VariableSpike]

I wouldn't sweat it, we are never gonna get these chips at MSRP anyways.
Scum bag scalpers will buy them up, charge 3x 4x what there worth.

Pretty simple solution. Flog the scalpers

Intel have their own fabs which means they have a lot more control of their supply, and we didn't see many issues with 11th gen, so I doubt that availability will be much of an issue.

Edit: fabs, not fans....

 

[VitalyT]

Intel is one of the most consistent screw-ups in the stock market, they always over-advertise on announcements and then under-deliver, like a blueprint for the saying - "buy on the rumor, sell on the news".

 

[emmzo]

For 741 euros, that I9 better deliver some big punch. I mean single AND multi core supremacy, supremacy meaning 15-20% better than previous Intel gen and AMD`s best, which I doubt it. It`s still cheaper than 5950x (819 MSRP euros), so if that`s the case it will be well worth it.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

I'm hoping for an "unscalpable" chip - 12MB cache with 8 cores / 16 threads which uses about 65w - and costs less than $150. It would have to offer 2x performance compared to my 10 yr old Xeon x5680 ($35 used on eBay). Maybe a Ryzen 7 1700.

 

[p51d007]

Kind of like "a new cellphone"...higher prices, better bang for the buck is buying LAST years "next best thing".

 

[Mjswooosh]

I don't like my CPUs to double as space heaters. No thanks.

I'll stick with AMD's more efficient, cooler running design. My 5600X is phenomenal paired with the RTX 2060.

And, frankly, I don't see the point in upgrading the CPU in the near term anyway since there's no way to get a new more powerful GPU at MSRP. I'm GPU limited even with the 5600x. I need to look at recent benchmarks to be sure but I don't know if even a 3080 would outpace the 5600x...

 

[Nobina]

I don't like my CPUs to double as space heaters. No thanks.

I'll stick with AMD's more efficient, cooler running design. My 5600X is phenomenal paired with the RTX 2060.

And, frankly, I don't see the point in upgrading the CPU in the near term anyway since there's no way to get a new more powerful GPU at MSRP. I'm GPU limited even with the 5600x. I need to look at recent benchmarks to be sure but I don't know if even a 3080 would outpace the 5600x...

The higher the resolution the less CPU matters so it depends on what res you're playing at. I think 5600X will just about handle a 3080.

 

[Puiu]

Much more expensive than I expected. I was thinking that the 12900k might launch at 600-650$ (or at least the "msrp", not the street prices)

 

[Max225719]

Such a shame. I would of loved 16 of those beautiful performance cores instead. Not concerned with power draw I don't spend thousands of dollars on hardware to worry about a $3 dollar a month increase in a electricity bill, that's just *****ic.

I do use lightroom allot with a currently 84k image library I am constantly going through for reprints and edits. On top of that I have to process a lot of 4k video in Resolve. I would of grabbed a thread ripper if I didn't value gaming also. Not sure what the energy efficient cores are going to do for someone like me... Sure as heck ain't going to help me process 47MB RAW files from my R5 pff

 

[RudyBob]

"fast, hot, and expensive" I knew her