Intel’s 12th generation Core processors, formerly known as “Alder Lake”, are a major architectural departure from previous generations. We’re reviewing the flagship Core i9-12900K, which combines two different types of processor cores onto a single die. This 16-core, 24-thread chip can reach up to 5.2GHz and supports DDR5 memory and the latest PCI Express 4.0 and 5.0 standards. We put it through its paces in our custom Be Quiet!-equipped desktop build.