Intel Core i7 Gaming Processor Now Under $200 After Price Cut
If you’re aiming to assemble a high-performance gaming PC without spending a lot, this Intel CPU bargain is perfect. It offers a Core i7 CPU with eight Performance-Cores and four Efficient-Cores for only $199.99. This drops the Core i7-12700KF to its lowest price ever, significantly below its initial $430 launch cost.
The model number’s initial “12” shouldn’t deter you. The architecture of Intel’s 12th generation Alder Lake CPUs is quite close to that of the newer 14th generation Raptor Lake processors, like the Core i9 14900K featured in our top gaming CPU recommendations.
The Core i7 12700KF offers 12 cores at a great price. You get eight P-Cores for gaming and an extra four E-Cores for tasks like video encoding.
It can reach up to 5GHz for some tasks. With a Z-series chipset motherboard, like the Z690, you can overclock the CPU. I’ve managed to overclock all the P-Cores to 5GHz, improving its performance in tasks that use many threads.
The ‘F’ in the name indicates this chip lacks an integrated GPU, making it less expensive than the Core i7 12700K. However, this isn’t an issue for gamers who prefer using a dedicated video card for their gaming setups.
Based on my tests, the Core i7 12700KF performs a bit better than the Ryzen 9 5900X with 12 cores in tasks requiring multiple threads. It also surpasses it in tasks that run on a single thread, thanks to reaching speeds of up to 5GHz.
While it doesn’t outpace the newer Ryzen 9 7900X, the price of $199.99 reflects that you’re getting a lot for your money, if not everything.
Choosing this CPU means you give up some speed and extra cores compared to the newer Core i7 14700K. The newer i7 has 12 extra cores, but these don’t matter much for gaming. The 14700K also runs faster, reaching 5.6GHz for certain tasks like gaming.
But, at only $199.99, this 12-core Intel Core i7 CPU is a great deal for building a strong gaming computer on a budget. If you’re new to putting together PCs, check out our detailed guide on how to create a gaming PC. We’ll help you pick all the right parts and show you how to put them together.
What Do We Think?
I think this Intel CPU deal is a steal for anyone looking to build a powerful gaming PC on a budget. For just $199.99, you get a Core i7 with 12 cores that nearly match the newer models in performance. Overclocking it on a Z-series motherboard was a breeze, and it really boosted its abilities for heavy tasks.
Though it lacks an integrated GPU, that’s not an issue for me since I prefer a dedicated graphics card. In comparison tests, it edged out the Ryzen 9 5900X and gave a solid performance for its price.
Sure, it’s a bit slower than the latest Core i7, but the savings are too good to pass up. For gamers or PC builders on a tight budget, this CPU is a fantastic choice.
