Intel recently launched its new range of 12th-generation processors in its move to Alder Lake. But which motherboards are compatible with the new chips?
Intel has come out with 12th-generation Alder Lake desktop processors, including the flagship Core i9-12900K CPU, offering a total of 16 cores. Intel claims that there will be a 19% performance improvement compared to the 11th-generation chips.
But looking past the new processors, anyone wanting to build a PC or improve upon their existing one, it’s important to understand which motherboards will work with Alder Lake. Keep reading to find out.
Which motherboards work with Alder Lake?
New Intel chips usually mean a new motherboard is required, and in this case, that’s true; Alder Lake will need a motherboard with Intel’s new Z690 chipset.
These new motherboards feature an LGA 1700 socket, with the 10th and 11th-generation LGA 1200 socket incompatible with the 12th-gen chips. This means you will need to upgrade if you want to use Intel’s newest processors.
The Z690 motherboards will be able to support both K and non-K chips, with feature support for DDR5, PCIe Gen 5.0 and enhanced overclocking abilities.
So far, these new Alder Lake processors include the following:
- Intel Core i9-12900K
- Intel Core i9-12900KF
- Intel Core i7-12700K
- Intel Core i7-12700KF
- Intel Core i5-12600K
- Intel Core i5-12600KF
Intel is expected to add more processors to the Alder Lake range in the future too, most likely in 2022.
Both the Intel 12th-generation Core processor lineup and the new Z690 motherboards are confirmed to launch on 4th November, so make sure to mark it on your calendars if you’re keen to nab one.
Many companies have already confirmed that they’ll be offering Z690 motherboards with Asus announcing the likes of the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme, ROG Maximus Z690 Apex and ROG Maximus Z690 Hero, while Gigabyte will be launching the likes of the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro and Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Master. There are plenty more options too, so it’s worth shopping around.
We’ll be using the ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming Wi-Fi motherboard for our Intel Alder Lake testing.
For more news on Intel Alder Lake, keep your eyes peeled on Trusted Reviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
