Have you heard about Intel’s new powerful processors that came out this year? Take some time to familiarize yourself with some of the details during Intel gamer days. That’s right, Intel gamer days are here again with great savings on Intel powered laptops and desktop computers that’ll make everything you do go more smoothly: school, work, and especially gaming! Learn some facts about Intel’s new processors, then enter for a chance to win an amazing Intel powered laptop.

Which Intel processor will you choose

Shopping for a laptop isn’t easy for most of us. Part of the problem is that Best Buy has an incredibly large selection. A good first step is to read the Laptop buying guide and narrow down your choices a little. You can also narrow it down by deciding what kind of processor you want: on the Best Buy laptops page you will see a set of facets on the left hand side of the page for processor type. If you want one of the new Intel processors, then you would select one with “Intel” at the beginning. After that, you’ll want to choose the processor that matches your needs and budget. Here is a short primer that should help:

  1. i5 vs i7 vs i9: this is the first main differentiator for Intel processors where a higher number means better performance and usually a higher price too. If you are doing basic computing tasks (for work or school) and play simple games then an i5 may be perfect for your needs and will likely save you some money. If you want a laptop capable of playing complex games, processing large video files, or other demanding tasks then pay a little extra for a machine with a higher numbered processor.
  2. 11th gen vs 12th gen: as with most technologies, newer will be faster and more versatile. This is especially true for Intel processors released this year. We discussed the 11th generation processors in last year’s Intel gamer days article. They are still amazing processors, capable of handling the most complex tasks and demanding games very well. This year Intel released a major leap in processor design with the 12th gen processor as we discussed in an article last spring. Read that article and you’ll understand why “11 is good, but 12 is a lot better.” Again, if you want to save money, then last year’s model will be excellent for your needs. If you want maximum flexibility and performance then you’ll be leaning toward the newest models.
  3. H vs K vs HK: Intel model numbers have a suffix and two of the most important ones for fast laptops are H and K. H means the processor is optimized for high performance in laptops. Most of the fastest laptops have this suffix. The other suffix, K, is especially useful for very serious gamers or computing enthusiasts who want to push their machines to their absolute limits. The K means the processor is unlocked, and can be configured to go beyond the fastest specifications set by the manufacturer: the term for this is overclocking. People who desire an extra edge in gaming, or want to process very demanding computing task will often turn to a K processor.

What questions do you have about Intel processors

Those three points above will likely help most computer buyers but I know they won’t answer all of your questions. Intel actually has a quite a range of processors and it can be confusing. One of the things I hope you get out of Intel gamers days is a little more knowledge that will help you make a more informed decision on your next laptop purchase. As such, the methods of entry for this contest are designed to help. And just by asking or answering a question below, you’ll have a chance to win a great prize from one of the sponsors of this contest. Carefully read the instructions below for the best chance. You never know, you might win one of these four amazing laptops.

We will also give away a digital code for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (PC) to each prize winner because from August 25th, you will also receive a copy of the game if you purchase a qualifying device equipped with Intel i7 or i9 processor at Best Buy!

How to enter

Entering this contest is easy and you can enter in two different ways

  1. In comment below, help our readers learn about Intel processor by either
    1. asking a question about one thing you don’t understand about Intel processors; or
    2. answering a question that someone else posted in these comments about Intel processors; or
    3. telling us one thing you just learned about Intel processors that you think is interesting.
  2. For up to two (2) additional entries, create a public post on a social media channel (one entry per channel!) sharing with your friends and followers one thing you like about Intel Core 12th Gen processors; include the hashtag #BbyIntelgamerdaysContest, so we can find your post, and include one of the pictures showing on this article. Then return here and tell us in a comment below on which channel you posted it and the name of your channel (since many people use pseudonyms) so that we can check and verify your entry. You can use any two social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.), but the post must be public so we can verify it is there.

What you can win

At the end of this contest we will randomly select four winners from all eligible entries to win one of these prize bundles: HP OMEN 16″ gaming laptop and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (PC), Acer Nitro 5 15.6″ gaming laptop and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (PC), Dell Alienware m15 R7 15.6″ gaming laptop and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (PC), Gigabyte Aero 16 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (PC).

This contest runs from August 25th until Sept 4th. 

Remember you can enter in two different ways. Everyone needs a great computer so you know many people who would benefit from the information in this article, and would love to win a new Intel powered laptop. Share this article with all your friends and family!

Win a laptop during Intel Gamer Days Contest Rules and Regulations

Good Luck

Martin Renaud
Martin Renaud
Editor in Chief
Martin loves working with the talented editors and writers on the Best Buy Blog as Editor-in-Chief. During his spare time he is either working on his next novel, cooking up a masterpiece in the kitchen, or adding some smart tech to his new home on Mayne Island in British Columbia.
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651 COMMENTS

  1. I had no idea the difference between h, k, and hk until now! Now I know what to look for when it comes to finding the best fit for me for a laptop! Thanks for the info bestbuy!

  2. Even though I play PC games, I will admit I didn’t know all there was to know about Intel processors and what all the letters and numbers mean.

    Just from this article I learnt what the H and K suffixes mean.

    H = High Performance
    K = Unlocked processor for overclocking

  3. learning about the suffix lettering on processors K is most useful for gamers who want to overclock their systems to get the most out of it . and learning more in-depth about 12th gen architecture and the split up of P cores and E cores and how the processor handles the use of those to get the most out of battery life and performance

  4. It’s so interesting to learn about the very quick advancements of our technology – I admit, I know very little about the internal pieces of my laptops, but I’ll definitely be keeping this page for knowledge when I go buy my next one! I never knew about the differences between the H vs K vs HK, and that K is the one you definitely want for gaming because of overclocking. Thank you so very much for the opportunity to win. I’m quite sure my current laptop (probably 10+ years old now!) could use a refresh!

  6. I learned that for school or work tasks and less intensive games, an i5 processor is enough, which can save me money.

  7. If you are doing basic computing tasks (for work or school) and play simple games then an i5 may be perfect for your needs and will likely save you some money

  9. One thing I learned about Intel processors that I think is interesting is the Intel model number suffixes.

  10. I had a feeling that the higher the number for the computer models, the better and faster they are.
    Now I know it is the same for the letters of the model. H is before K therefore it’s a later model! #mindblown

  13. I would love to know how a processor can manage so much data?

    I didn’t know the K suffix meant the processor is unlocked. Lots of new learning about H or K or HK too!

  14. Thank you so much Best Buy and Martin….another fantastic contest!!! And what a fascinating read!

    1. I have always be so fascinated by technology, especially when it comes to things like computers…..but It still boggles my mind wondering just HOW so much stuff/information, etc. can be transfored/stored in such a tiny little thing (like a processor)….and they just keep getting smaller and FASTER, etc. “HOW”?? I just can’t get my mind to “process” that 🙂

    2. I absolutely learned something new! Had NO idea that the “H”, “K” , “HK” meant High Performance and Unlockability! Very cool!

    Thanks so much!…..and good luck to all!!! 🙂

  16. the one thing I just learned and very interesting is about the H verses K verses HK suffix- very interesting

  17. Let me tell you
    i9 and i3 or any other processor all go thro same fabrication process, with zero difference.
    The difference is faults and mistakes in each individual chips.
    The chip is desighned on most powerful processor and the ones with faults are seperated out in catagories as such as i7,i5 then i3 by disabling some part in it.
    So all in one its all same chip in one generation but with varing faults.

    i got to know this cuz i work in geeksquad (not retail) and i see tons of chips and gpu everyday.

  22. I didn’t learn anything new, but I will share a tidbit about K processors and overclocking for those that don’t know. Yes you can overclock with a “K” processor but with that comes extra voltage which will impact your battery on your laptop and also means extra Heat so cooling becomes an issue.

  23. One thing i learnt about the intel processors today is that Intel model numbers have a suffix and two of the most important ones for fast laptops are H and K.

  31. I learned that H means the processor is optimized for high performance in laptops. Most of the fastest laptops have this suffix. The other suffix, K, is especially useful for very serious gamers or computing. That’s very helpful.

  36. H vs K vs HK. It’s nice to know what these mean just wish they meant a bit more in laptops but most don’t have proper cooling for powerful processors.

  39. I didn’t know the K suffix meant the processor is unlocked, and its specifications can be configured to go faster than the manufacturer settings.

  40. I heard of suffix F K KF, first time learning about H though. I guess K is still higher than H’s performance.

  43. H vs K vs HK: well isn’t this a little confusing? I’ve always considered the K “suffix” to be optimized for high performance…

  44. I’m looking to get a new laptop for graphic design using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects. Should i go all in on an i9 12th gen or will i be ok with an 11th gen CPU and maybe an i7 with a rtx 3060? Thanks

    • Hi, generally, an 11th gen i7 processor and a RTX 3050 or RTX 3060 graphics card will do very well if you work a lot with creative software. 12th gen processors are really top shelf and really shine with things that require a lot of heavy rendering, like games or animation software.

  49. I learnt more about the suffixes of the processors, and I always just defaulted to the K versions didn’t realize they actually meant something specific.

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