We test CPUs using a variety of synthetic benchmarks that offer proprietary scores, as well as real-world tests using consumer apps such as 7-Zip, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Premiere (the latter two using Puget Systems' PugetBench for Photoshop and Premiere extensions), multiplayer games like Rainbow Six: Siege, and AAA 3D games such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla. CPU-Centric Tests It's been the case for years that more cores and threads don't necessarily lead to better performance and Alder Lake offers further proof through impressive results. As well as this new array of cores and threads, Intel also opened up support for DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0 with Alder Lake, snatching the standards lead from AMD. WQHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 500 nits, 165Hz refresh rate with OverDrive, 100% sRGB, up to VESA DisplayHDR™ 400 Certified, Dolby Vision® support, NVIDIA® G-SYNC™ support, 16:10 aspect ratio If you own HDR content and want to view it in HDR on ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED, please first connect its DC power supply. Open Display Settings, select Windows HD Color settings, then switch on Play HDR games and apps. When this function is turned on, the display’s brightness may be reduced and you will need to readjust the brightness to the desired level. Also, the color of the Windows Desktop may change, but this won’t affect HDR functions. We recommend you only enable this feature when you use related apps. For non-streaming HDR videos with HEVC decoder requirements, we also recommend using Microsoft’s built-in Movies & TV app. All models support up to DDR5-5600, or DDR4-3200 memory, up to 16 lanes of PCI Express 5.0, and up to 4 lanes of PCI Express 4.0.

What does "select game titles," and "most games in Windows 11," mean? Will Windows 10 get its necessary updates before December of 2022? No specificity to be found. We couldn't even get a number on how many games are affected, either because Intel wasn't willing to share or because it doesn't know. cores (eight P-cores and eight E-cores), 24 threads, 150W processor base power,30MB Intel Smart Cache, and PCIe Gen 5.0 and 4.0 support. Another standard feature of 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors: Intel® Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+). Offering exclusive, high-speed channels that other legacy devices simply can’t, Intel® Wi-Fi 6E lets you experience nearly 3x faster connectivity without the interference 3. And that means more freedom to work or learn from home—or relax with super-smooth, high-quality streaming. Intel Adaptive Boost Technology for improved gaming performance by opportunistically allowing higher multi-core turbo frequencies.

Thermal Monitoring Technologies

AMD may still be king of multi-core tasks with the Ryzen 9 5950X, but that doesn't mean the Core i9-12900K is a slouch. Far from it as this CPU boasts impressive single-core scores, as well as decent enough numbers for multi-core tasks that would make AMD sweat slightly. You should not buy this if ... Suffice to say, from the perspective of a hardware reviewer, this launch is a difficult one to cover. Normally with a new processor we would run A vs B, and that’s most of the data we need aside from some specific edge cases. For this launch, there are other factors to consider: Desktop processors, in particular, have always been power-hungry but offer incredible levels of performance. This new approach cuts this power down slightly in favor of some cores that are designed specifically with certain tasks in mind. This should result in better (and more efficient) overall computing performance. A Leap in Content Creation Performance: Advancements in multi-threaded performance, the responsive performance of the P-cores and the ability to move data at incredible speeds with DDR5 enable leadership across all types of content creation experiences, including:

Thread Director is informed by a new microcontroller on the CPU itself, which will feed Windows 11 more detailed hardware telemetry about the current status of the chip and its cores, versus older releases in Intel's desktop line. Information that was previously left a mystery to Windows—think aspects like thermals, power settings, and which threads can take more instructions—is now communicated to the scheduler in microseconds, leaving almost no impact and (in theory) adding considerable performance gains, depending on the workflow and the various kinds of overhead that can be leveraged. The Core i7 and the Core i9 lines of chips are only able to really stretch their legs on desktop systems, because of their high power draw and thermal output (compared to options in the Core i3 and i5 lines). Their serious power is better managed in desktop PC builds that can utilize custom cooling and larger power supplies. Though we didn't run any benchmarks on the integrated graphics processor (IGP) of the Core i9-11900K (partly because of time constraints, but mainly because few buyers will shop for this chip and not pair it with a graphics card), we recommend hopping over to our review of the Core i5-12600K to see just how much of an improvement gamers can expect. For those looking for an IGP that can just drive a display, though, the Iris Xe UHD Graphics 770 solution will support four 4K (up to 4,096-by-2,303-pixel) displays, at up to 60Hz. Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics only: to use the Intel® Iris® Xe brand, the system must be populated with 128-bit (dual channel) memory. Otherwise, use the Intel® UHD brand. The Intel Core i9-12900K is part of the 12th Gen family of processors. If you're after the very latest and best the company has to offer in 2021, this is the processor to buy.

Memory Types

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central) You should buy this if ... Cutress, Ian (October 28, 2019). "The Intel Core i9-9990XE Review: All 14 Cores at 5.0 GHz". AnandTech . Retrieved November 2, 2019. If you want the "world's best gaming processor" today—as in a desktop processor that just plays any PC game you want—you might want to wait and see how the DRM situation shakes out on Alder Lake. But the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X remains a cost-conscious, fuss-free option that kept its station in gaming in Windows 10. We'll be testing more Denuvo-protected titles in the coming weeks to get a more complete picture of how widespread the issue may be on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, but until then we would advise gamers to use this list to look for (possibly) unlaunchable titles.