Intel's 12th Generation Alder Lake processors are scheduled to debut in Fall 2021 to compete with the Best CPUs for Gaming on the market. We've already seen the alleged specifications for the K-series chips, and today, FanlessTech has shared the potential specification for the T-series parts.
Intel's K-series SKUs typically gain all the attention because they come with the fastest clock speeds and an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. However, the T-series variants still hold their place with consumers who aim to build small and compact systems that have low power consumption.
In case you've been living under a rock, Alder Lake is a hybrid desktop chip that wields Golden Cove and Gracemont cores. The first tackles the more intensive workloads, while the latter is good for everyday tasks. A coreboot patch has revealed up to 12 different configurations for Alder Lake, but there could be more or less, depending on how extensive Intel wants to make the lineup.
On the graphics side, Alder Lake will leverage Intel's Gen 12 Xe graphics engine, the same one inside Tiger Lake but with a few tweaks. Alder Lake will be a game changer since it's the first consumer processor to support next-generation interfaces, such as DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. Therefore, Alder Lake will reside on a new socket, the LGA1700 socket with a 41.7% increase in pins to accommodate the new features and connectivity.
Intel Alder Lake T-Series CPU Specifications*
| Processor | Cores | Threads | Boost Clock (GHz) | L3 Cache (MB) | Graphics | TDP (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-12900T | 8 + 8 | 24 | 4.9 | 30 | UHD Graphics 770 | 35 |
| Core i7-12700T | 8 + 4 | 20 | 4.7 | 25 | UHD Graphics 770 | 35 |
| Core i5-12600T | 6 + 0 | 12 | 4.6 | 18 | UHD Graphics 770 | 35 |
| Core i5-12500T | 6 + 0 | 12 | 4.4 | 18 | UHD Graphics 770 | 35 |
| Core i5-12400T | 6 + 0 | 12 | 4.2 | 18 | UHD Graphics 730 | 35 |
| Core i3-12300T | 4 + 0 | 8 | 4.2 | 12 | UHD Graphics 730 | 35 |
| Core i3-12100T | 4 + 0 | 8 | 4.1 | 12 | UHD Graphics 730 | 35 |
*Specifications are unconfirmed.
The Core i9-12900T allegedly features the same 8+8 configuration as the Core i9-12900K. However, Intel would have to gimp the operating clocks to keep it within the 35W thermal envelope. According to FanlessTech, the Core i9-12900T comes with a 4.9 GHz boost clock, which is only 300 MHz lower than its K-series counterpart. The Core i9-12900T in all likelihood has a lower base clock, but FanlessTech didn't share that value.
Apparently, the Core i7-12700T could arrive with a 4.7 GHz boost clock. The rumored boost clock speed for the Core i7-12700K is 5 GHz, so it seems to have the same 300 MHz reduction as the Core i9 SKU.
The Core i5 models would take the biggest performance hit. The Core i5-12600K, which has a 125W TDP, reportedly sports six Golden Cove cores and four Gracemont cores. With the Core i5-12600T, however, it seems that Intel has eliminated the Gracemont cores all together. In addition to the 300 MHz lower boost clock, the Core i5-12600T also has a lower total core count (six as opposed to ten).
Rumors have pointed to a tentative November 19 launch for Alder Lake. The T-series variants generally come out later, though. FanlessTech believes that the 35W Alder Lake processors could land early 2022.
