We have finally confirmed the final launch dates of Intel's 12th Gen Alder Lake Desktop CPUs and the Z690 platform from our sources. The company will not only be bringing a new architecture & IPC improvements but the entire chip design is getting an overhaul with the 12th Gen Core family being the first consumer-centric desktop launch of a hybrid x86 processor.

Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake Unlocked Desktop CPUs & Z690 Platform Launches on 4th November

The Intel Alder Lake-S Desktop CPU lineup will include the 12th Gen Core processors. Intel will kick off its lineup with the introductory 'K' and 'KF' chips which will be followed by more mainstream variants in the following weeks (early 2022 around CES).

Our sources have confirmed that the Intel 12th Gen Core processor lineup along with the Z690 motherboards will be readily available on 4th November at 6:00 AM PT. Intel will also hold a pre-launch announcement next week where they would disclose the prices, specifications, and general performance numbers of their next-gen family during 27th & 28th October during the 'Innovation' event.

This won't be the first time Intel has released an x86 CPU with a hybrid architecture for consumers but it's definitely the first proper release with optimizations coming along the way. Lakefield can be seen as a test case for the hybrid architecture approach although that was limited to a few laptops. Alder Lake on the other hand is primarily focused on both desktop and mobile platforms & will also receive scheduling and core optimizations within Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system. Intel's Alder Lake-S will also pave the way for its next-generation Core series which are going to leverage a lot from the hybrid architecture and further increase reliance on Big and Small cores.

In Alder Lake's case, we are looking at Golden Cove architecture on the Performance Cores and the Gracemont architecture on the Efficiency Cores. Intel will also be rehauling its desktop platform in the form of the 600-series chipsets. The new 600-series will debut with the Z690 motherboards that are going to support both K and non-K chips.

The Z690 platform will also feature support for DDR5, PCIe Gen 5.0, and several key features along with enhanced overclocking capabilities. Z690 chipset-based motherboards will be available on the same day as the Alder Lake-S Desktop CPUs while the DDR5 memory kits will be available slightly earlier. Following are all the memory module manufacturers that have announced their respective DDR5 kits:

G.Skill Trident Z5 Memory KitsCorsair Dominator Memory KitsGeIL Polaris RGB Memory KitsTeamGroup T-Force Delta RGB Memory KitsTeamGroup T-Force Vulcan Memory KitsTeamGroup Elite Series Memory KitsGALAX GAMER RGB Series DDR5 Memory KitsPNY Performance Memory KitsADATA XPG CASTER Memory KitsV-Color RGB Memory KitsZADAK SPARK Memory KitsKingston Fury Series Memory KitsASGARD Memory Kits