Intel Core i7-12700 CPU Processor

What more can you say about it.. Good price, in stock!Getting the newest generation CPU for your home PC rebuild! Comes with that "new PC smell" and a cooler in the box. Absolutely blazing when paired with M2 NVme PCIE 4 SSD. Have never experienced a computer so fast! Staff at Palmerston North are very well informed and helpful. Thanks heaps!

A fantastic and quiet upgrade for my PC

After about a decade, it was time for me to replace my old LGA1155 build with modern components. A major factor in my decision when buying components was noise. My previous build was only intended for gaming, where noise is largely unavoidable. I wanted this new build to also be my Plex server and run quietly enough under light load so as to be unnoticeable. The 12th generation Intel i7 processors appealed to me because they have efficiency cores that presumably use less power. I also did some research between 65w vs 125w chips. While it's still unclear to me how much the lower watt chip helps here given they both are able to idle and throttle significantly, lower = less power = cooler seems to still be the prevailing logic so I opted for the Intel Core i7-12700. ... MoreAfter about a decade, it was time for me to replace my old LGA1155 build with modern components. A major factor in my decision when buying components was noise. My previous build was only intended for gaming, where noise is largely unavoidable. I wanted this new build to also be my Plex server and run quietly enough under light load so as to be unnoticeable. The 12th generation Intel i7 processors appealed to me because they have efficiency cores that presumably use less power. I also did some research between 65w vs 125w chips. While it's still unclear to me how much the lower watt chip helps here given they both are able to idle and throttle significantly, lower = less power = cooler seems to still be the prevailing logic so I opted for the Intel Core i7-12700. Another factor worth considering was that this model comes with a decent stock cooling fan, while the 12700k does not. After a few weeks of use, I can safely say that this new PC build is hardly noticeable. I am very happy with my purchase.I will add one bit of advice. As someone who last installed a CPU about a decade ago, I was surprised how difficult it was to determine how the CPU should be oriented in the socket. Where as older CPUs I've installed have a very clear notch, this CPU is very much symmetrical with an easy-to-miss etched triangle to indicate orientation. While this is probably common nowadays and is labeled in the included manual, I wanted to give anyone reading here a heads up.

Amazing Efficiency and Performance

A locked, overclockable i7 that only pulls around the TDP rating while gaming, so it's very easy to cool and quiet about it, too. This thing does it all, but don't expect a great overclock as i7s are already near the limit of the silicon. Fortunately, the locked i3 and i5s can also be overclocked with much larger performance jumps due to more headroom. If you really want to know how to overclock them, there are a couple instructional vids out there, but be warned, there's no guarantee you can get it back to stock settings.

Amazing core, absolutely no problem at all and one of the fastest out there

Went from a 9th gen i5 to an alder lake 12th gen i7 and the difference is night and day. the i7 processor handles huge loads with no fuss at all with every action done in the blink of an eye. Not much to say since this is one of the best cores I think I have ever seen.

Great CPU

Finally saved enough money to complete this project. Did the Smoke Test with the Intel i7 12700 CPU and Samsung 1TB 980 m2 pcie ssd. Booted find. Updated to the latest bios. Good.Ready to install Windows 10. Great MB

Great Value

I don't need overclocking. So why pay extra for the k? Being integrated into a Digital Audio Workstation that works 8 hours a day, I value stability over everything else. I wrestled with whether to pay the extra for an i9 but since most audio apps are still single thread, I saved a couple hundred dollars with the i7. Combine that with the $20 motherboard bundle discount, and I paid the same $299, as I did for the last i7 I bought (3770) 10 years ago! 4 minute songs that used to take 5+ minutes to render now take 2 1/2 minutes. Sounds like only a couple minutes, but with that process repeated 20 times a day-that adds up to almost an hour a day, that I can do other stuff.

Great price to performance

The i7-12700 (non-K) is hard to beat. It offers you very nearly the same performance as the 12700K at a hefty price discount. And it comes with a stock cooler, which is plenty adequate if you choose to run the CPU at a 65W power limit. I'm not saying you should do that, but it's an option, and a nice one to have in a pinch.In any case, even at 65W the CPU performs quite well. Look up Techspot's review of the i7-12700 and the MSI B660 MAG Mortar.If you do choose to unlock the power limit (and do try to figure out whether your motherboard supports that before buying), then you will need a pretty beefy aftermarket cooler. This thing runs very hot at full power. ATM I'm running it with a Noctua NH-D15, which is about as strong as air coolers get these days, and the ... MoreThe i7-12700 (non-K) is hard to beat. It offers you very nearly the same performance as the 12700K at a hefty price discount. And it comes with a stock cooler, which is plenty adequate if you choose to run the CPU at a 65W power limit. I'm not saying you should do that, but it's an option, and a nice one to have in a pinch.In any case, even at 65W the CPU performs quite well. Look up Techspot's review of the i7-12700 and the MSI B660 MAG Mortar.If you do choose to unlock the power limit (and do try to figure out whether your motherboard supports that before buying), then you will need a pretty beefy aftermarket cooler. This thing runs very hot at full power. ATM I'm running it with a Noctua NH-D15, which is about as strong as air coolers get these days, and the CPU can still hit 85 degrees in Cinebench.Other than the heat, my only reservation is that Intel locks the SA voltage regulator on non-K Alder Lake CPUs, which may make it difficult for you to hit XMP speeds on your RAM. As I understand it, 3200 MT/s is essentially a hard limit for DDR4 on these CPUs. This isn't really a knock on the CPU, just something to keep in mind if you were planning to take advantage of what Intel calls memory overclocking. I've also heard that certain "K" chips won't go higher than 3200 MT/s, either. Might be luck of the draw there.The memory thing won't make a big difference either way, though.

Such a lovely beast

I have been using this processor for almost a month now, and the productivity and gaming potential on this dude is phenomenal. Coming from the i7-4790k, it would definitely be an upgrade in the making, but the processor stands alone as a great symbol of performance.

This CPU demolishes heavy workloads

Totally amazing performance level for the price (this CPU in particular but also 12700K).Uses 4W at idle and will permanently boost to 4.5ghz all core @ 150W using a budget tower air cooler and temps should stay below 75deg. Single core boost is 4.9ghz as promised.The Artic i35 air cooler is out of box ready for socket 1700.The included RM1 cooler will thermal throttle after extended time @ 100% load, but will otherwise enable full performance.The built in graphics are not for gaming, but are useful for setup & testing purposes, and can be used to drive an additional screen.Recommend to pair with a decent quality B660 mobo for optimum bang for buck.

no need of GPU if you are a general user, a superb upgrade

price was much cheaper than i thought for the 12th gen. really felt the difference of 12th gen. was impressed to see the fan too. would recommend for all general users, worth the upgrade and no need for GPU if you are not a hardcore gamer