In a nutshell: Dutch Amazon has become the latest retailer to list part of the Alder Lake series ahead of their launch. Although the listing doesn't purport to be selling the CPUs, unlike some questionable Chinese listings, it confirms prior information about packaging and includes new pricing information.
By now, you're probably familiar with Alder Lake, Intel's upcoming 12th-gen Core processors. Their specifications have been leaked extensively, some tenuous benchmark results have appeared, and a smattering of errant details about their launch have surfaced.
Last month, a few prices posted by a leaker suggested that the series would cost uncomfortably more than their predecessors. The 12900K was pinned at $705. But not long after, the American retailer Provantage listed the processors at more reasonable prices, including $605 for the flagship 12900K.
Now, the Dutch version of Amazon has chimed in to add a third opinion. Converted to USD, and with tax excluded, the Core i9-12900K comes out to $812, the i7-12700K to $615, and the i5-12600K to $311.
Hardware often costs more in Europe than America, but even so, these prices are disconcerting.
| Model | Listed Price (Euros, w/ VAT) | Untaxed Price (Euros, w/o VAT) | USD Price (w/o VAT) | Cores/Threads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-12900K | €846.92 | €700 | $812 | 16/24 |
| Core i7-12700K | €641.38 | €530 | $615 | 12/20 |
| Core i5-12600K | €323.83 | €268 | $311 | 10/16 |
Amazon may be anticipating a shortage of the processors, and pre-emptively pricing them above their recommended retail price. But, because Intel is using its own foundries to make them, there might be enough of the processors around to force retailers to lower their prices over time.
Amazon's listing also shows off Alder Lake's new boxes, which were leaked a few days ago.
Intel is expected to announce the Alder Lake lineup at its Innovation event on October 28-29. The processors will go on sale a week later.
Masthead credit: Redd