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 Core i9-12900K Processor 16 Cores (8P+8E) up to 5.2 GHz
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LGA 1700 CPU List
Intel's 12th Gen Core CPUs are compatible with socket LGA 1700 motherboards.
| Processor Branding | CPUs Models |
|---|---|
| Intel Core i9 | Core i9 12900K, 12900KF, 12900T, 12900F, 12900 |
| Intel Core i7 | Core i7 12700K, 12700KF, 12700T, 12700F, 12700 |
| Intel Core i5 | Core i5 12600K, 12600KF, 12600T, 12600, 12500T, 12500, 12400T, 12400F, 12400 |
Intel initially released only the K and KF processors at the end of 2021. The other 12th Gen models listed above are being released in the first quarter of 2022.
Find Intel Alder Lake processors on Amazon (affiliate link).
Motherboard and Cooling Requirements for LGA 1700 Processors
For 12th Gen Intel Core processors, you'll need a motherboard with an LGA 1700 socket. You will need a motherboard with the Z690 chipset to 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 in early 2022.
| Z690 | H670 | B660 | H610 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Q4 2021 | Q1 2022 | Q1 2022 | Q1 2022 |
| CPU Overclocking | Yes | No | No | No |
| PCIe 5.0 Slots via Processor | One x16 or Two x8 | One x16 or Two x8 | One x16 | One x16 |
| PCIe 4.0 Slots via Processor | One x4 | One x4 | One x4 | None |
| PCIe 4.0 Lanes via Chipset | Up to 12 | Up to 12 | Up to 6 | None |
| PCIe 3.0 Lanes via Chipset | Up to 16 | Up to 12 | Up to 8 | 8 |
| Memory Overclocking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Memory Channels | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| DMI 4.0 Lanes | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) | Up to 4 | Up to 2 | Up to 2 | None |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 (10 Gbps) | Up to 10 | Up to 4 | Up to 4 | Up to 2 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 Gbps) | Up to 10 | Up to 8 | Up to 6 | Up to 4 |
| USB 2.0 Ports | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 |
| Wi-Fi 6E | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SATA 3.0 Ports | Up to 8 | Up to 8 | Up to 4 | 4 |
| PCIe RAID 0,1,5 Support | Yes | Yes | No | No |
The distance between heatsink screw holes for the LGA 1700 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.
Intel CPU Naming
| 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 use a Z-series chipset to overclock unlocked CPUs. For example, motherboards with the Z690 chipset support overclocking Intel's 12th Gen Core CPUs.
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
Recommended LGA 1700 Motherboards and CPUs
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 the Z690 chipset to 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 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).
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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)!
DDR5 memory appears to be out of stock at most retailers, so I recommend sticking with a DDR4 motherboard or preparing for a long wait.
- 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).
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.
-
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 the Z690 chipset to support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600 series desktop chipsets (e.g., H670, B660, H610).
-
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).
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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!
DDR5 memory appears to be out of stock at most retailers, so I recommend sticking with a DDR4 motherboard or preparing for a long wait.
- 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).
Recommended LGA 1700 Cooler
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 request an 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: 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
Our Recommended RAM
Due to the limited availability of DDR5, I'm only recommending a specific DDR4 product at this time.
However, you can check the current availability of DDR5 on Amazon (affiliate link).
Recommended DDR4: Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4
- It comes in a variety of frequencies, including 3000 MHz, 3200 MHz, 3600 MHz, 4000 MHz, and 4400 MHz
- Reasonable CL16 timings (CAS Latency)
- The low-profile form factor ensures that the heat spreaders don't get in the way of other devices, including your CPU heatsink
- Crucial is a reputable brand, and I have used their memory in my machines
- The customizable LEDs zones are a pretty cool bonus
Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Other Considerations When Building a PC
Want to brush up on other new technologies to consider when building a computer? Check out these articles:
- CPUs:
- CPU Coolers:
- Storage:
- Memory:
- PCI-Express:
- Motherboards:
- Graphics Cards:
- Power Supplies:
- Keyboards:
- Monitors:
Learn About PCI-Express
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 12900K, 12900KF |
| Intel Core i7 | Core i7 12700K, 12700KF |
| Intel Core i5 | Core i5 12600K, 12600KF |
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!