In a nutshell: Intel is expected to show off its first non-K Alder Lake processors at CES in two weeks, and we've just seen what is allegedly a retail unit of one of these CPUs, complete with the new stock cooler.
We've been hearing about Intel experimenting with new stock cooler designs since September. Now, Peruvian news site XanxoGaming has got its hands on one by purchasing a retail version of the Core i5-12400F.
The cooler matches previously leaked images of the Laminar RM1, with a spiral design that makes it look pretty similar to AMD's Wraith Stealth and Spire coolers. It also appears to feature a blue LED around the fan.
Unlike the current Alder Lake chips on the market, the Core i5-12400F is a 65W non-K model that lacks any efficiency cores and features only performance cores (6 cores/12 threads). We previously heard that the chip would offer a 2.5GHz base clock and boost to 4.4 GHz.
XanxoGaming bought the processor for 899 Sols, around 222 USD with 18% VAT, reports VideoCardz. Removing the VAT would bring the price to around $188.
Intel's CES press conference, which takes place at Mandalay Bay, starts at 10 am PST on January 5. The Alder Lake non-K series processors are expected to launch alongside the budget-orientated B660 and H610 motherboards soon after the event finishes.
Alder Lake has arrived to glowing reviews, so it'll be interesting to see how the cheaper non-K chips shake up the market and compete with similarly priced AMD options. The 12th-gen CPUs have already boosted Intel's share of the sales market in Germany, though team red remains the dominant force by far.
In other Intel news, CEO Pat Gelsinger recently reaffirmed his belief that the current chip crisis will not alleviate until 2023.