Okay so I did the unthinkable - after a DECADE of being Team AMD, I switched to Intel because... well, math. This i7-12700K is STUPID good for the price.

Upgraded from a Ryzen 7 1700 and holy temperature difference Batman! My Corsair H100I keeps this thing chilling at temps my old CPU could only dream of. The hybrid core thing isn't just marketing - watching those P&E cores dance during gaming is weirdly satisfying.

Fun story: Amazon literally yeeted this $300+ CPU into my non-weatherproof mailbox like it was a $5 HDMI cable. The box was doing the cha-cha slide inside the packaging. Still works though!

For anyone scared by the 13th/14th gen drama - this 12th gen bad boy is unaffected. Getting 300fps in Apex like it's nothing while sipping power compared to my old space heater (sorry Ryzen 7).

PS: You can totally use LGA1200 cooler screws in a pinch despite what Intel says. Don't tell them I told you.