The Intel Core i9-12900K was once the top CPU in early 2022, and while it’s since been replaced by its 13th generation successor, it’s still a processing powerhouse that’ll last you years to come. Now is the best time you can buy one, too, as the chip is currently at its lowest price ever on Amazon US and there are great deals on other regional storefronts, too.
While stocks last, the Intel Core i9-12900K is currently $408 USD right now, which isn’t a small chunk of change but it’s a pretty big drop. The processor originally debuted with an MSRP of $599 less than a year ago, and its current discount is another $70 off from its new base price.
Even though it no longer holds the crown as the best gaming CPU, its specs still go toe to toe with the latest from Intel and AMD. It packs 16 cores split evenly between performance and efficiency, and 24 threads to handle just about any task you throw at it. And with a boost clock of up to 5.20GHz, running games is a cinch.
If you’ve ever experienced the issue where your motherboard doesn’t recognise an NVMe SSD because you’ve exhausted all your PCIe lanes, that should no longer be a problem, as this CPU supports up to 20 – meaning one GPU and four extra lanes spare. Since you’ll likely need to upgrade your motherboard to one with an LGA 1700 socket to house the i9-12900K, you also have the choice of DDR4 or DDR5 RAM. Choose wisely, though, as they’re not interchangeable.
As usual, this deal won’t last forever, so don’t wait around to click that buy button. If you can’t wait to get your hands on your new chip, consider subscribing to Amazon Prime and using its free 30-day trial to get next-day delivery.