12th Gen
Alder LakeGeneration Timeline
TL;DR
12th Gen (Alder Lake) , released 2021. Features multiple iGPU variants: Intel UHD Graphics 730 (24 EU) or Intel UHD Graphics 770 (32 EU). iGPU varies by CPU model (i3/i5 non-K vs i5-K/i7/i9). Supports H.264 , HEVC 8-bit , HEVC 10-bit , VP9 hardware encoding.
Avg FPS
92.8
+34% vs 8th Gen
Efficiency
26.16 FPS/W
+150% vs 8th Gen
Avg Power
4.1W
Results
113
16 CPUs
Architecture
Alder Lake
2 die variantsThis generation uses different silicon depending on CPU model. Lower-tier chips (i3, i5 non-K) use a different die than higher-tier chips (i5-K, i7, i9).
ADL-S (E0) 2022 7 CPUs tested
iGPU Intel UHD Graphics 730 Xe-LP
EU Count 24 EU
Process Intel 7
Max P-Cores 6
TDP Range 35-65W
Die Layout P-cores only (no E-cores)
Tested CPUs using this die:
i5-12400 i5-1235U i3-12100 i5-12400T i3-12100T i5-12500T i5-12500
ADL-S (C0) 2021 7 CPUs tested
iGPU Intel UHD Graphics 770 Xe-LP
EU Count 32 EU
Process Intel 7
Max P-Cores 8
Max E-Cores 8
TDP Range 65-125W
Die Layout Hybrid (P+E cores)
Tested CPUs using this die:
i7-12700K i9-12900H i5-12600H i7-12700H i5-12600K i9-12900 i9-12900HK
Codec Support
| Codec | Encode | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 | ✓ | Most compatible, widely supported |
| HEVC 8-bit | ✓ | Better compression than H.264 |
| HEVC 10-bit | ✓ | HDR support, better gradients |
| VP9 | ✓ | YouTube/web streaming codec |
| AV1 | ✕ | Next-gen, best compression |
Benchmark Data 113 results from 16 CPUs
| Test | Avg FPS | Min | Max | FPS/Watt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| h264_1080p_cpu | 72.3 | 20.5 | 163.3 | — |
| h264_1080p | 214.0 | 128.8 | 281.1 | 58.51 |
| h264_4k | 59.2 | 34.2 | 82.9 | 17.05 |
| hevc_8bit | 89.0 | 49.1 | 116.7 | 21.70 |
| hevc_4k_10bit | 26.5 | 12.2 | 40.9 | 5.91 |
CPUs in This Generation
Top Performer i7-12700K +1 points vs i9-12900H • 28.1 FPS/W efficiency • excellent overall (93/100)
| CPU Model | Results | Avg FPS | FPS/Watt | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top i7-12700K | 15 | 117.9 | 28.15 | 93 |
| i9-12900H | 5 | 124.0 | 20.45 | 92 |
| i5-12400 | 5 | 100.0 | 29.87 | 92 |
| i5-12600H | 10 | 112.3 | 18.86 | 90 |
| i7-12700H | 5 | 81.2 | 48.73 | 88 |
| i5-12600K | 10 | 94.6 | 25.85 | 86 |
| i5-1235U | 5 | 82.5 | 27.88 | 84 |
| i3-12100 | 5 | 88.6 | 26.58 | 83 |
| i9-12900 | 5 | 120.1 | — | 80 |
| i5-12400T | 5 | 76.8 | 21.87 | 79 |
| i3-12100T | 5 | 76.5 | 22.46 | 79 |
| i3-N305 | 10 | 79.7 | 22.01 | 75 |
| i5-12500T | 10 | 85.7 | — | 72 |
| i5-12500 | 10 | 80.3 | — | 67 |
| N95 | 5 | 50.6 | 18.72 | 60 |
| i9-12900HK | 3 | 63.8 | 31.96 | 56 |
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