Intel kf meaning
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However, to truly justify your purchase, you have to take advantage of the fact that they are overclockable.
You can do without a “K” series processor if you do not want to overclock.
4. Can You Use Any Motherboard to Overclock K and KF CPUs?
No, you need a premium Z series motherboard to overclock the K and KF series CPUs.
Hence,
- For the 12th K and KF series CPU, you need a Z690 motherboard to overclock
- For the 11th K and KF series CPU, you need a Z590 motherboard to overclock
So on and so forth.
You can also use K and KF CPUs on B and H series motherboards, but you will NOT be able to overclock them.
6.
It enables users to push the processor to its limits and get much better performance than regular performance. But are there any other components that need to be compatible, like your mobo?
Well, yes. Not all motherboards allow for overclocking. But regarding the stock CPU performance, the “F” variant is only marginally slower than the “K” series CPUs, i.e., 34,513 points for i7-12700K vs.
The following table summarizes these below:
Also Read: What is a Good Processor Speed for a Laptop?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. We know that the K suffix relates to overclocking, but what about the S?
Intel says the S stands for "Special Edition". That’s why the F series from Intel comes at a lower price than the Intel K series.
Are Intel K CPUs Faster than the Non-K CPUs?
The answer is yes.
If so, take a look at our related articles to learn a lot more.
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KF CPUs are similar in that they have a K which means they can be overclocked, but the F suffix means that they do not have an integrated graphics card.
When building an Intel system, it is important to know which processor model you're going for. Intel has tried to streamline some of their product offerings and so the old Intel CPU suffixes may no longer apply.
In general the suffixes provide additional specific information about the processor’s capabilities and intended platform.
But both K and KF offer the same amount of cores, clock speed, and performance. i7
Intel CPU with NO Suffix – Have iGPU but NOT Overclockable
The stock CPUs for any SKU is the model with no suffix, i.e., Intel Core i7 12700.
These are basically the vanilla CPUs that do feature an onboard integrated graphics card but are not overclockable.
They have a slightly lower clock speed performance than the “K” and the “KF” series CPUs but are also much cheaper.
The following table shows some of the 12th gen CPUs with no Suffix
| Model | Specs | iGPU | MSRP |
| Intel Core i5 12400 | 6 P Cores 12 Threads 4.4 GHz Max Clock | Intel UHD 730 | $192 |
| Intel Core i5 12600 | 6 P Cores 12 Threads 4.8 GHz Max Clock | Intel UHD 770 | $223 |
| Intel Core i7 12700 | 8 P Cores 4 E Cores 20 Threads 5.0 GHz Max Clock | Intel UHD 770 | $339 |
| Intel Core i9 12900 | 8 P Cores 8 E Cores 24 Threads 5.1 GHz Max Clock | Intel UHD 770 | $489 |
Intel K vs.
KF vs. Here we can see that it belongs to the Intel Core i7 series and the 10th Generation. The KF chip costs slightly less than the Intel K series. On the other hand, the Intel F series is the cheapest as they don’t offer overclocking features with the chips. However, I only recommend this if you already have a dedicated GPU on hand.
If you're not building a gaming PC, attempting to save money on a KF processor will backfire if you don't have a discrete graphics card yet.
It is slightly cheaper, so you can spend the difference on some other part of your build.
However, you're not going to see any real advantage in gaming performance if you choose any KF model over the K CPUs that are available.
What is An Intel KS Processor?
There are a lot of processor types that Intel offers and one that might catch your eye is the KS type.
That way, they can save up a bit on the CPU as there is no need for a weaker iGPU if you already plan to have a powerful dedicated GPU.
| Model | Specs | iGPU | MSRP |
| Intel Core i5 12400F | 6 P Cores 12 Threads 4.4 GHz Max Clock | NA | $167 |
| Intel Core i7 12700F | 8 P Cores 4 E Cores 20 Threads 4.9 GHz Max Clock | NA | $314 |
| Intel Core i9 12900F | 8 P Cores 8 E Cores 24 Threads 5.1 GHz Max Clock | NA | $464 |
You can see that the Intel Core i7 12700F ($314 MSRP)) is $95 less expensive than the Intel Core i7 12700K ($409 MSRP)?
The “K” series CPUs are undoubtedly the most powerful of them all and also the most expensive. The amount saved due to the absence of an iGPU can instead be used for buying a better dedicated GPU.
Hence, they are excellent for gamers and enthusiasts who plan to have a dedicated GPU for their build anyways and also wish to overclock their CPUs.
Of course, to overclock, like with the regular “K” series CPUs, you need to have a premium “Z” series motherboard such as the Z690 for 12th Gen CPUs.
The “KF” CPUs do NOT come with a stock cooler or thermal paste.
Here are some of the latest 12th Gen CPUs from the “KF” series.
| Model | Specs | iGPU | MSRP |
| Intel Core i5 12600KF | 6 P Cores 4 E Cores 16 Threads 4.9 GHz Max Clock | NA | $264 |
| Intel Core i7 12700KF | 8 P Cores 4 E Cores 20 Threads 5.0 GHz Max Clock | NA | $384 |
| Intel Core i9 12900KF | 8 P Cores 8 E Cores 24 Threads 5.2 GHz Max Clock | NA | $569 |
The price difference between a “K” and a “KF” CPU isn’t significant, i.e., the MSRP difference between Core i9 12900K and Core i9 12900KF is only $20.
That makes this chip cheaper than the other two.
| K Suffix | KF Suffix | F Suffix |
| Overclockable | Overclockable | Non-Overclockable |
| Integrated graphics card | No integrated graphics card | No integrated graphics card |
| Most Expensive and Highest Performing | More Expensive and Higher Performing | Least Expensive and Lowest Performing |
Which Intel CPU is the Cheapest?
The Intel K series CPUs are the most expensive from Intel as they also provide many features.
While they may seem trivial, they hold tremendous significance. The letters in the suffix all have a different relationship to the processor’s specs.
While Intel has several suffixes, the most confusing to understand is the difference between Intel K vs.