The LGA 1700 socket was first introduced with Intel's 12th generation Core processors, code-named "Alder Lake," in 2021.
This article will discuss which processors support the LGA 1700 socket and provide recommendations for CPUs and compatible motherboards, CPU coolers, and memory.
Check out my Recommended LGA 1700 CPUs and Motherboards below.
Intel's 12th Gen Core CPUs are compatible with socket LGA 1700 motherboards.
Processor Branding | CPUs Models |
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Intel Core i9 | Core i9 12900KS, 12900K, 12900KF, 12900F, 12900, 12900T |
Intel Core i7 | Core i7 12700K, 12700KF, 12700F, 12700, 12700T |
Intel Core i5 | Core i5 12600K, 12600KF, 12600, 12600T, 12500, 12500T, 12400F, 12400, 12400T |
Intel Core i3 | Core i3 12300, 12300T, 12100, 12100F, 12100T |
Intel Pentium Gold | Pentium Gold G7400, G7400T |
Intel Celeron | Celeron G6900, G6900T |
Intel initially released only the K and KF models of 12th Gen Core processors at the end of 2021. The other 12th Gen models listed above were announced in the first quarter of 2022 and will likely be available sometime in 2022.
Find Intel Alder Lake processors on Amazon (affiliate link).
Motherboards for Intel processors are made with chipsets provided by Intel. Each chipset offers a unique set of capabilities. However, motherboards must explicitly support features and capabilities for you to use them. Verify that a motherboard supports the features and capabilities you desire.
For 12th Gen Intel Core processors, you'll need a motherboard with an LGA 1700 socket. You will need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock 12th Gen CPUs. Motherboards with the Z690 chipset typically support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., H670, B660, H610).
Motherboards with the Z690 chipset were the first ones available, while motherboards with the other chipsets are starting to be released throughout 2022.
The W680 and Q670 chipsets are intended for workstation and business use cases; their availability in stand-alone motherboards is limited.
for a specific 12th Gen Core CPU:
Z690 | H670 | B660 | H610 | W680 | Q670 | |
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Recommended Usage | For Enthusiast Gamer PCs | For General Home and Gaming PCs | For Budget PCs | For Barebones PCs | For High-End Creative/Engineering Workstations | For Nicer Business PCs |
Motherboard Availability | Limited | Limited | ||||
Launch Date | Q4 2021 | Q1 2022 | Q1 2022 | Q1 2022 | Q1 2022 | Q1 2022 |
CPU Overclocking See Exceptions: MOTHERBOARD |
Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Memory Overclocking | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
PCIe 5.0 Slots via Processor | One x16 or Two x8 | One x16 or Two x8 | One x16 | One x16 | One x16 or Two x8 | One x16 or Two x8 |
PCIe 4.0 Slots via Processor | One x4 | One x4 | One x4 | None | One x4 | One x4 |
PCIe 4.0 Lanes via Chipset | Up to 12 | Up to 12 | Up to 6 | None | Up to 12 | Up to 12 |
PCIe 3.0 Lanes via Chipset | Up to 16 | Up to 12 | Up to 8 | 8 | Up to 16 | Up to 12 |
Memory Channels | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Integrated Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (Gig+) | Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (Gig+) | Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (Gig+) | Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (Gig+) | Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (Gig+) | Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (Gig+) |
DMI 4.0 Lanes | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) | Up to 4 | Up to 2 | Up to 2 | None | Up to 4 | Up to 4 |
USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 (10 Gbps) | Up to 10 | Up to 4 | Up to 4 | Up to 2 | Up to 10 | Up to 8 |
USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 Gbps) | Up to 10 | Up to 8 | Up to 6 | Up to 4 | Up to 10 | Up to 10 |
USB 2.0 Ports | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 |
Wi-Fi 6E | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
SATA 3.0 Ports | Up to 8 | Up to 8 | Up to 4 | Up to 4 | Up to 8 | Up to 8 |
PCIe RAID | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | None | None | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 |
SATA RAID | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | None | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 |
MOTHERBOARD The motherboard must support overclocking to use overclocking capabilities. Motherboards with Z-prefixed chipsets more commonly support overclocking.
The distance between heatsink screw holes for the LGA 1700 socket increased to 78x78 mm from the 75x75 mm spacing typical of recent sockets. This new spacing means you'll need a new cooler/heatsink or upgrade kit that supports the new configuration.
Check out my Recommended LGA 1700 CPUs and Motherboards below.
Check out my Recommended LGA 1700 CPU Coolers below.
Processor Name Suffix | Meaning |
---|---|
K | "K" means it's an unlocked CPU. Unlocked CPUs have configurable frequencies and thus support overclocking. |
F | "F" means it requires a standalone graphics card. |
T | "T" means it is a power-optimized lifestyle CPU. In other words, it is designed not to use as much power and thus not generate as much heat. These CPUs are ideal for lower-performance small form factor PCs and are sold as part of a pre-built system. |
Your motherboard must support overclocking to overclock unlocked CPUs. Motherboards with Z-series chipsets (e.g., Z690) typically support overclocking.
The suffixes can be combined. If a CPU's name ends in KF, it is both unlocked and doesn't include integrated graphics support in the processor.
Your motherboard must support video output capabilities to use the integrated graphics support of non-F suffixed CPUs.
Learn more in my article, Intel CPU Naming: K vs. KF vs. F
Best Intel High-Performance Enthusiast CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K
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Up to 5.2 GHz: perfect for games, video editing, and high-intensity tasks.
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16 cores (8 Performance + 8 Efficiency): Quite a few cores considering the frequency! This combination makes it a great all-around system that can handle almost any task.
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Virtualization features make it great for running virtual machines.
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Check the latest price of the Intel Core i9-12900K on Amazon (affiliate link).
Intel Core i9-12900K Processor 16 Cores (8P+8E) up to 5.2 GHz Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
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For the Intel Core i9-12900K CPU, you'll need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock the CPU. Motherboards with the Z690 chipset typically support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., H670, B660, H610).
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Our recommended DDR5 motherboard to pair with the i9-12900K is Gigabyte's Z690 AORUS Master:
GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- PCIe 5.0 support
- It supports up to 128GB of DDR5 memory (DDR5 provides the fastest memory speeds)!
- 10 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
- Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
- Bluetooth 5.2
is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
- Four x4 NVMe M.2
slots, which is fantastic! Three of these run at PCIe 4.0 speeds, and one at PCIe 3.0 speeds.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
- Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master on Amazon (affiliate link).
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Our recommended DDR4 motherboard to pair with the i9-12900K is Gigabyte's Z690 AORUS Elite AX DDR4:
GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Elite AX DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- PCIe 5.0 support
- It supports up to 128GB of DDR4 memory!
- 2.5 Gb Ethernet port is faster than most home Internet speeds with room to spare for file transfers.
- Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth 5.2
is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
- Four x4 NVMe M.2
slots, which is fantastic! All four of these run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
- Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Elite AX DDR4 on Amazon (affiliate link).
Best Value CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K
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Less than half the price of the i9-12900K, but still excellent performance at up to 4.9 GHz.
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10 cores (6 Performance + 4 Efficiency): This core count makes it suitable for everyday multi-threading tasks, such as having tons of browser windows open.
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Virtualization features make it great for running virtual machines.
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Check the latest price of the Intel Core i5-12600K on Amazon (affiliate link).
Intel Core i5-12600K Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
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For the Intel Core i5-12600K CPU, you'll need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock the CPU. Motherboards with the Z690 chipset typically support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., H670, B660, H610).
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Our recommended DDR5 motherboard to pair with the i5-12600K is GIGABYTE's Z690 AORUS PRO motherboard:
GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS PRO Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- PCIe 5.0 support
- It supports up to 128GB of DDR5 memory!
- Three NVMe M.2
slots, which is excellent! These all run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
- 2.5 Gb Ethernet port is faster than most home Internet speeds with room to spare for file transfers.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
- Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS PRO on Amazon (affiliate link).
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Our recommended DDR4 motherboard to pair with the i5-12600K is GIGABYTE's Z690 Gaming X DDR4 motherboard:
GIGABYTE Z690 Gaming X DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- PCIe 5.0 support
- It supports up to 128GB of DDR4 memory!
- Four x4 NVMe M.2
slots, which is fantastic! All four of these run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
- 2.5 Gb Ethernet port is faster than most home Internet speeds with room to spare for file transfers.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
- Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE Z690 Gaming X DDR4 on Amazon (affiliate link).
Locked Intel CPUs may come with a stock CPU cooler. These CPU models do not have a "K" in the name. While stock coolers will prevent your CPU from overheating, your CPU will throttle its performance during games and other intensive tasks. Higher TDP coolers will keep your CPU at turbo speeds for longer durations. Stock coolers are often quite loud at their maximum speed.
The LGA 1700 socket will require a CPU cooler that supports the new socket size. Some manufacturers are releasing upgrade kits for LGA 1200 heatsinks to support the new size.
Best AIO Liquid Cooler: Enermax Liqmax III 360
- This Enermax liquid cooler has an excellent cooling capability with a 360-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
- Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 2066, 2011-3, 2011, 1700, 1200, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150 and AMD AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1.
- Quiet operation at 14-27 dBA.
- You can get the LGA 1700 Enermax Mounting Kit for LIQMAX III on Amazon (affiliate link) or request a free LGA 1700 mounting kit via the LGA 1700 Mounting Kit Request Form.
- Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space!
Enermax Liqmax III 360 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Best Dual-Fan Air CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15
- Dual 140 mm fans provide 220-watt TDP (183 NSPR) of cooling capability.
- Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM2+.
- Quiet operation at 24.6 dBA.
Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Runner Up - Dual-Fan Air CPU Cooler: Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510
- This CPU cooler doesn't have any fancy LED lights, but the dual 120 mm fans do a great job of cooling LGA 1700 CPUs.
- Suppose you think this cooler will take up too much space. In that case, Thermaltake has a few single-fan TOUGHAIR variants which use different orientations.
- This CPU cooler has a 2000 RPM max speed for optimal cooling.
- 180-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Before purchasing memory, review your motherboard specification to verify which speeds are supported. For example, if a DDR4 motherboard stated that it supports "DDR4 3400(O.C.) / 3333(O.C.) / 3300(O.C.) / 3200 / 3000," that would mean that it could support DDR4-3400, DDR4-3333, and DDR4-3300 with memory overclocking, and DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3000 at stock speeds. Motherboard specifications also indicate the maximum capacity per stick of RAM (DIMM) and across all slots.
for a specific LGA 1700 CPU:
Recommended DDR5: Corsair Vengeance DDR5
- At an effective frequency of 4800 MHz, this memory hits the fastest speeds supported by Intel Alder Lake (e.g., 12th Gen Core) CPUs without overclocking.
- Compact heat spreaders avoid conflicting with a CPU cooler.
- 32 GB provides ample memory for gaming and multitasking.
Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 4800MHz Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Recommended DDR4: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4
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At an effective frequency of 3200 MHz, this memory hits the fastest supported stock DDR4 speeds.
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It is also available in other (effective) frequencies for overclockers, including 3600 MHz and 4000 MHz.
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Lower-speed versions are also available on Amazon, in various capacities, including DDR4-2933 (affiliate link), DDR4-2666 (affiliate link), and DDR4-2400 (affiliate link).
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The low-profile form factor ensures that the heat spreaders don't get in the way of other devices, including your CPU heatsink.
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Want to brush up on other new technologies to consider when building a computer? Check out these articles:
- Cases:
- CPUs:
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 5.0?
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?
- LGA 1700 CPU List
- LGA 1200 CPU List
- Look up an Intel or AMD CPU on TechReviewer for related recommendations:
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 5.0?
- CPU Coolers:
- Storage:
- Memory:
- PCI-Express:
- Motherboards:
- Graphics Cards:
- Power Supplies:
- Keyboards:
- Monitors:
Intel's 12th generation CPUs are the first to support PCIe 5.0.
Processor Branding | Processor Models Supporting PCIe 5.0 |
---|---|
Intel Core i9 | Core i9 12900KS, 12900K, 12900KF, 12900F, 12900, 12900T |
Intel Core i7 | Core i7 12700K, 12700KF, 12700F, 12700, 12700T |
Intel Core i5 | Core i5 12600K, 12600KF, 12600, 12600T, 12500, 12500T, 12400F, 12400, 12400T |
Intel Core i3 | Core i3 12300, 12300T, 12100, 12100F, 12100T |
Intel Pentium Gold | Pentium Gold G7400, G7400T |
Intel Celeron | Celeron G6900, G6900T |
Want to brush up on the latest PCIe products, versions, and features? Check out the articles in this PCI-Express series:
- What is PCIe?
, What is PCIe 5.0?
, and What is PCIe 4.0?
- Is PCIe 5.0 Worth It?
and Is PCIe 4.0 Worth It?
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 5.0?
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?
- Which Motherboards Support PCIe 5.0?
- Which Graphics Cards Support PCIe 4.0?
- How Fast is PCIe 5.0?
and How Fast is PCIe 4.0?
- Is PCIe Backward Compatible?
- Can I Put a PCIe x4 or x8 Card in an x16 Slot?
- Can I Use a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in a PCIe 3.0 Motherboard Slot?
- Can I Use a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD in a PCIe 4.0 Motherboard Slot?
- Can I Use a PCIe 4.0 Graphics Card in a PCIe 3.0 Slot?
- Can I Use a PCIe 3.0 Graphics Card in a PCIe 4.0 Slot?
- What is the Latest Version of PCIe?
- PCI vs. AGP vs. PCIe? Time to Upgrade!