Alder Lake: what the next generation of Intel processors promises

Intel has long been synonymous with microprocessors. These essential parts for any computer are a fundamental part of its architecture and Intel has been manufacturing them for more than half a century.

Intel (acronym which since 1968 stands for Integrated electronics) is the largest manufacturer of microprocessors in the world and is recognized for it. That’s something to take away from that unforgettable early ’90s campaign that ensured that if the computer included the sticker “Intel Inside(and the unforgettable little music), was a guarantee that the experience was going to be good and satisfying.

Not only that, Intel with this campaign has managed to be a respected name and, above all, recognized by the general public to this day. Few tech companies that are dedicated to making components—and don’t target the end audience—can say that.

Now, although Intel has its competition against other giants (maybe not so giants in comparison) such as AMD, Nvidia, TSMC, SK Hynix, Qualcomm, Samsung and others, the company formed by Gordon Moore -yes, the same of the famous Moore’s Law- and Robert Noyce in 1968 continues to largely dominate the market.

Late last year, Intel introduced the 12th generation of its microprocessor families. Named code “Alder Lake” , we are talking about big changes in the architecture of a processor, compared to its past iterations. This new hybrid architecture is the most significant change for the company in the classic x86 architecture since the introduction of cores in a CPU.

We are not going to go into very complex or convoluted technical details, but we are talking about a new hybrid technology that allows very high performance thanks to the fact that the novelty in its construction involves two main processing cores that work alternately, which in total adds up to 18 cores between the two and manages to support DDR5 memories and the latest express connectivity standards. Thus, it can operate at a low base frequency of 2.4 Ghz or go up to a maximum of 3.9 Ghz with turbo boost.

Specially optimized for Windows 11 and Chrome OS, all of the above results in better performance and performance for all processes, from waking up the computer to be up and running instantly, to various biometrics to secure the device, fast loadings, longer battery life, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and even the possibility of Intel Iris Xe, which are the company’s graphics platforms that are integrated into the combo, among other technical innovations. Especially for daily work, the performance and response speed of the device is superior.

As always, the new Intel processor family is divided into three segments with their respective variants: Core i3-12300, Core i5-12600K, Core i7-12700K and Core i9-12900K, which would be the high-end processor.

The star with whom we were able to test this new generation of processors was nothing less than a MSI Raider GE76 17.6″, a stylish spec beast wrapped in a very sophisticated design full of details. Needless to say, this is probably the most powerful computer that has ever passed through my hands.

Intel was very kind to give me a trial laptop MSI Raider GE76 . It was a big surprise when we found a stunning, chunky and stylish 17.3″ model, one of the latest devices launched by Chinese giant MSI, which generally leans more towards high-end equipment for video gamers, although it is also recognized for its multiple computing components.

In this case, we’re talking about a large device that stands out everywhere you look at it: from its sophisticated and robust design to its elegant RGB color line on the base of the device and its matching backlit keyboard. Inside we only have a 12th generation Intel Core i9 processor, accompanied by an Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card, 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD, ultra-quiet fans and, by the way, a large power outlet. watt. A beast. You would think that with all this power, the battery life would not exceed a few hours. But, surprisingly, the device endured almost six hours of continuous work, without major problems.

As expected, in all processes the laptop flew. There was no waiting or anything. And by fitting a second monitor, there were no major inconveniences either. When running graphical and processing stress tests, the laptop behaved like an obedient computer animal. And needless to say, every high-demand video game we’ve tried (guardians of the galaxy and the Forza Horizon 5), worked like a charm on the highest graphics settings possible, without any issues.

During this year, new generations of computers from several manufacturers are expected to be equipped with the 12th generation of Intel microprocessors, which will mean a step towards greater computing power, but also a better and more efficient user experience. . So if you’re thinking of changing or adding a new wearable device, now might be the year to do it.