It was only a couple of months ago that I selected a CPU for running Windows 11. As with all things technology, things change very fast. Intel has released their latest and greatest and it brings significant speed increases. Let’s take a look at the new processor and some new motherboard options. Yes, there are Amazon links that earn me a buck or two if you purchase something with them. No, I didn’t get anything provided to me.

The new processor is the Intel Core i9-12900K Desktop Processor 16 (8P+8E) Cores. There are two kinds of cores included with it. Let’s start with the 8 P-cores (Performance cores) which are rated at 3.2 GHz base speed with a Max of 5.2 GHz. These cores also support two threads each. E-Cores (Efficient cores) have a 2.4 GHz base speed with a Max of 3.9 GHz. In total, it can run 24 cores.

It does support DDR5 memory though not all motherboards will have that same support since DDR5 is really new technology. Don’t worry, DDR4 is still supported by the CPU. Throw in a 30 MB Smart Cache (L3) and a 14 MB L2 cache and you’ve got a lot of power in a single chip. One big difference is the usage of the Z690 chipset so you’ll need a compatible motherboard. Below I list several compatible motherboards at different pricing levels.

• MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 ProSeries Motherboard
• ASUS Prime Z690-A LGA 1700(Intel 12th) ATX Motherboard
• ROG Strix Z690-G Gaming WiFi Motherboard

As all of these products are very new, the prices may be inflated due to high demand and low supplies. Wait another month or two and you’ll likely find better pricing.