The 12th generation of Intel Core CPUs called Alder Lake, introduced a hybrid architecture in which blocks of high-performance cores are combined with other groups of efficiency cores. The idea of this generation is for the CPU to divide the jobs according to their load and let the efficiency cores do the lighter work and the performance cores do the heavier work.
Along with this, the Alder Lake generation introduces compatibility with memory in DDR5 format while maintaining compatibility with DD4, and possibility of use hardware with PCIe 5.0 protocol.
Now that we have been able to get hold of one of the Intel Core Alder Lake models, specifically the i5-12400 model, we have gone through several benchmarks to draw our own conclusions about the CPU.
We thank Intel for giving us the product for review
Table of Contents
Unboxing
The Intel Core i5-12400 CPU comes in a simple package that shows off Intel's signature blue. In the upper right part you can see both the range that it is, the i5, and a little further down and to the left that it is a 12th generation CPU.
The model number can be seen in the lower right, and a little further down you can see that uses the LGA1700 motherboard socket, which premieres in this generation. This last piece of information is very important, since if we have heatsinks, many manufacturers have been making adapters so that liquid cooling can fully adapt to the new shape of the CPU socket for optimal cooling.
It is with this detail the first drawback that we see in this range of CPUs, not only the i5-12400: you need to change yes or yes your motherboard since if you're moving to Alder Lake from a previous generation, you won't have a compatible motherboard. To this is added that with the Meteor Lake generation that will be released in 2023, the socket will be changed again.
It does not mean that we cannot recommend this step, but it must be taken into account that the change of CPU to this generation implies bet on a type of motherboard that will last two years before it is replaced.
Opening the package, we already see the Intel Core Alder Lake i5-12400 CPU itself. We appreciate largest CPU size when normally they have been perfectly square.
Designer
Placed on top of one of the official heatsinks that Intel has launched, adapted to the new shape format of this generation.
Now the same CPU sitting on the socket on an ASUS Prime H610M-A D4 motherboard.
The i5-12400 has been correctly placed in socket 1700, and is ready to close for the benchmarks we are going to run with it.
This test rig has also been equipped with a NVME PCie SSD, so that data loading is as fast as possible.
This is what the processor looks like with the socket 1700 closed, before the thermal paste has been applied.
Detail of the thermal paste, after removing the heatsink, which allows us to observe how the serial thermal paste has been marked. It should be said that due to the larger size of the CPU, we may need to add more than usual so that the thermal paste perfectly covers the entire surface.
We can see the same in the official Intel heatsink, which after removing the processor we can see how the thermal paste has turned out.
The anchoring system of the new Intel heatsink is almost identical to the previous one, we simply appreciate a subtle change in the upper part of it.
Previously it was for a flat screwdriver head and now it has a slightly different shape, which does not affect its performance at all.
This is what a fully equipped B610 motherboard looks like with RAM, an NVMe PCie SSD, the CPU, and the official heatsink for testing. The only thing missing is the graphics card.
And this is how the entire setup looks complete and turned on. It should be noted that this is made specifically to do performance tests and is not intended to be a computer for normal use, since it is not mounted in a box that protects it from day-to-day dust.
Intel Core Alder Lake i5-12400 Benchmarks
Before going on and showing the results of the benchmarks, it is worth remembering the configuration of the equipment that has been used.
- 12th Gen Intel Core Alder Lake CPU i5-12400 model
- PCIe NVMe SSD
- ASUS Prime H610M-A D4 Motherboard
- Two DDR4 3200Mhz PNY XLR8 RAM memory modules
- Official Intel Heatsink
With this configuration, the Time Spy benchmark has achieved a graphics score of 8.067 points, and a CPU score of 9.175, a fairly positive score. In this benchmark, Intell's i5.-12400 can exceed 4.000 Mhz, but of course, it is a benchmark dedicated to maximizing components, not cases of domestic use such as commercial video games. The benchmark estimates that with a game like Battlefield V at 1440p on ultra, it could easily top 80+.
With this estimation, knowing that many gamers still have 1080p monitors, the help offered by this CPU would guarantee that for a longer time, games will continue to run smoothly. For the most enthusiastic, the jump to Alder Lake may be justified when it comes to wanting to ensure a good long-term gaming experience.
For its part, in the Fire Strike Ultra benchmark it has achieved a graphic score of 5.647 points, and a physical score of 23.803, and increases the expectations of Battlefield V at 1440p in Ultra at more than 85 frames per second. In the physics section, a good score is seen for games that are highly dependent on CPUs, such as multiplayer titles or games with many physics elements.
Going down to Fire Strike get 23.979 points in graphics, 23.732 in physics, and a combined score of 9.5115 points. the frequency has remained very stable throughout the entire test, which indicates that in less demanding tasks, a drop in performance will not be noticeable.
Using CPU-Z to compare with the i7-10700, a processor from two years ago, we see that it has had a better single core score. That's 130 points of difference, which shows the higher power of the Goden Clove cores that debut in the Alder Lake generation.
Although it is not a completely fair benchmark, the comparison in multi-core tasks goes in favor of the i7-10700. But of course, we are talking about a higher-end model from just two years ago with more cores and threads. Even so, the difference is 700 points, so the difference can be appreciable, but considering that the i7-10700 has more cores and threads, the results speak very well for a mid-range CPU like the i5-12400.
Compared to the previous generation 800 model, the i7-11800H, the i5-12400's single-core test hands down the high-end of its predecessor. About 72 points in mono core test. The qualitative leap of the nuclei of this generation is indisputable, so for the most demanding tasks, Alder Lake is a good option even in a relatively basic configuration like the i5 with six cores.
It should be said that the i5-12400 is not one of the models in which we can test how the distribution of processes would improve using the hybrid architecture with efficiency cores that debut in the Alder Lake generation. What's more, the purest benchmarks would not give faithful results, since they are made for multitasking.
Using the CPU in some of the most demanding games we've tested in previous configurations, we've seen an improvement in performance across the board, both in terms of loading and graphics. It should be said that part of the help is the graphics card, but a better CPU has been a good help in games like Battlefield V where there is a large number of users throughout the map.
In the absence of being able to test the efficiency cores, only with the performance cores it has not caused problems doing a multitasking test playing Dark Souls III while listening to a podcast in the background.
What's New in 12th Gen Intel Core Alder Lake
The move to this generation is not only a better architecture and better cores, but compatibilities with new information transfer protocols, the main ones being the DDR5 RAM memory protocol and the compatibility with PCIe 5.0.
In the case of PCIe 5.0, we gain up to 32 GT/s of raw bits and up to 128 Gbps in a typical x16 configuration; support for the new CEM connector, power provisioning up to 75 W, support for EIEOS, 128b/130b encoding and Scaled Flow Control. The increase to 128 Gbps and 75 W of power is a huge draw, especially with the future arrival of GPUs that require that protocol. But its main drawback of being compatible with PCie 5.0, at the time of writing these lines; the thing is there is hardly any consumer hardware that can take advantage of it and that its implementation really improves the user experience.
It is clear that for advanced workstations it will be something that will be used in the short term, but as for domestic consumers, it will take time to take advantage of both hardware and software. The NVIDIA RTX 3000 have a certain bottleneck if they are connected to a motherboard with PCie 3.0 and none in PCie 4.0, so PCie 5.0 is more in the future, and that is if hardware came out that required such a powerful graphics card and a game that asks for it, which would most likely be a demanding Virtual Reality game.
More or less the same can be said of access to DDR5 memory. The format allows individual modules of 128 GB, but knowing that 16 GB is considered acceptable today for something domestic, 128 GB per module, reaching 256 GB in dual, seems excessive. It does not mean that even today they will not be useful, but you have to be very demanding and with enormous workloads to take advantage of it.
The reduction of the electrical consumption that the RAM requires is attractive but can be testimonial in equipment with higher consumption components for which the Alder Lake generation is made. Also, in the same case as PCie 5.0, there is still no consumer software that expressly asks for DDR5, its latencies, or its capabilities.
But this is not bad in itself, but it is something conditioned to the moment in which these processors come out. The technology is new and therefore expensive and little used, but it is a good investment for the future in the face of need. Clearly, it is aimed at the most enthusiastic, who are the ones who value high-end components the most.
Gallery
i5-12400 experience and conclusion
The benchmarks that we have shown speak clearly and concisely: the improvement in the quality of individual nuclei speaks for itself and improves on previous generations. even being considered mid-range, the i5-12400 gets along very well with multitasking processes, and with the simplest ones. It leaves the graphics benchmarks in a good position and is able to defend itself very well in games that require a lot of CPU.
Since this it is a model without efficiency cores, which would help even more in the distribution of small tasks and tasks, we can not say much about the handling with Intel Thread Director. but based on the experience with this model, rendering a video for our YouTube channel while doing office tasks should be a very pleasant and comfortable experience.
We insist that the transition to this generation requires, yes or yes, a new motherboard and knowing how to choose the components. Many boards that have come out of the low or medium range leave PCie 5.0 or DDR5 aside, so if we expect this to be a change to be prepared for new protocols and hardware and software requirements, we should opt for the ranges more high, which would not necessarily be those of overclocking.
And we say of the future because few graphics cards or SSDs still fully implement PCie 5.0, since 4.0 is still enough for them and it does not seem that it will be necessary for several years. The same can be said of the DDR5 format, which unless we need to go to 256 GB of RAM, is not such a necessary change. but we do not say this as something eternally negative, but rather that today there is no great justification that drives us to take the leap.
But it is an affordable option for it, and since the CPU is one of the most expensive components, nothing prevents us from opting for a mid-range or low-end motherboard to take advantage of the components we already have.
Although very surely this is what enthusiasts have assumed. Going from generation to generation is not common and they most likely have a budget that allows them to opt for medium-high ranges of CPU, motherboard and RAM, with adapted liquid cooling and more. We say all this for the most casual users who will want their home uses of a gaming and office computer to be reflected. Before them it is important to remind them of everything that changing the generation of CPU brings.
But what is clear is that we are delighted with the novelties it offers, and that as a mid-range CPU, it has very positive results. The progress of the individual cores is very nice and there is a lot of potential with the hybrid experience. Intel Core Alder Lake i5-12400 is a great option if we have been thinking about renewing our PC for a long time because it is ideal to equip a computer that will last us several years or more, and with possibilities of expansion in the medium term.
The fact that Intel accompany the CPU with an official adapted heatsink The new shape of the surface for heatsinks is a detail that is appreciated. At least it saves us the search for a heatsink, although if we want to maintain our liquid cooling, we must ask the manufacturer for a kit to adapt it to the LGA700 socket.
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- Support for memory in DDR5 format and PCIe 5.0 protocol.
- It comes with an official adapted heatsink.
- Incredible single core performance.
- On its own, it's good value for money for mid-range computers.
- An affordable option to be PCie 5.0 and DDR5 ready when you need it.
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- Take advantage of many of the novelties that Alder Lake offers today, a high entry price when you need a new board yes or yes and a high-end memory.
- To this day, much software still does not take advantage of the DDR5 RAM memory format.
- There is little hardware that takes advantage of the PCIe 5.0 protocol, and PCIe 6.0 is already in the works.
- To be able to noticeably appreciate the improvements, you have to come from several previous generations of Intel Core, and go to the models with efficiency cores.
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