The headliner is the flagship Core i9-12900HK chip, which Intel claims is “the fastest mobile processor ever” and we’ll certainly be thrilled to put that claim to the test as soon as we get our hands on a laptop powered by this new super chip.
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Intel 12th Gen H-Series
Intel’s had a rough couple of years in the mobile processor realm with the rise of AMD followed by the emergence of Apple’s M1 chips. Its 12th Gen chips are a chance for it to regain some of the ground that it lost with the same new design architecture that we saw in the desktop Alder Lake chips last fall balancing between 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficiency). Leading the charge are the 45W H-Series chips. Intel claims these Alder Lake chips are up to 40% faster than their 11th Gen counterparts and thanks to the new hybrid architecture should offer improved battery life as well. However, power is the real selling point for H-Series. Intel reports that the Core-i9-12900HK is 28% faster than the Core i9-11980HK when it comes to gaming and content creators will see even larger gains with up to 43% higher performance for 3D rendering. Systems powered by the 12th Gen H-Series will start shipping in February, follow our CES 2022 coverage for details on some of the H-Series laptops arriving next month.
Intel 12th Gen U- and P-Series
Coming later in 2022 are the new 12th Gen U- and P-series mobile processors, which similarly offer 14 cores and 20 threads, but tipped towards efficiency over power. The brand new P-series looks to bridge the gap between the H- and U-series processors, operating at a base 28W it will be found in thin-and-light laptops that still need to deliver high-end performance. By comparison, the 12th Gen U-series will run at a base 9 to 15W, making it the perfect choice for the ultra-thin-and-light market. Intel stated that the U- and P-series processors will be available in the first quarter of 2022 in both Windows and Chrome OS systems.
