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

  5. Just learned that the H suffix means a high performance model and the K suffix means it is unlocked so can be overclocked. I know I’m definitely not at the level to need a K suffix!

  6. I had no idea what the suffix on Intel model numbers meant. Now I know the H means the processor is optimized for high performance in laptops and the K means the processor is unlocked,

    • The “K” chips are usually the fastest, with higher clock speeds than the standard chips without a letter in Intel’s mainstream chips @Paulo Soares

  14. I learned the difference between 11th gen and 12th gen processors!

    twitter: @futuretrunks99
    instagram: youfoolthisisntevenmyfinalf0rm

  16. 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.

  18. I wasn’t aware you could overclock a laptop processor. I always assumed there were limitations based on size and integration. Its good to know I can get a product that is more mobile and not have to compromise performance.

  20. I did not know 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.” That would be very helpful to gamers….

    Posted on Facebook….Lillian Poulton

  22. I’m still confused between all the different SKUs even within a modifier. What makes one i5 better than another and what does that mean for real world applications?

  28. I think it is interesting that the K suffix is for unlocked CPUs. Intel has so many different suffixes (U, Y, X, etc); it is difficult to remember all of them. I remembered that X was for unlocked, but forgot about K.

  30. I knew nothing about Intel processors before I read this article. I think I have a better understanding of the suffixes and the numbers that are associated with the processors.

  32. Wow! My son who has been begging for a PC set up or gaming Laptop! I learned that The 12th Gen Intel processors HAS 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores making it super fast for gaming! Very cool!!

  35. The question(s) I have remaining relates to overclocking. Why is it necessary to overclock a chip today? Why isn’t the chip simply already set up to operate at its top speed without the need to play around with any settings? Years (many years) ago, overclocking a chip might have made a huge difference in a computer’s performance. With the speeds of today’s chips does overclocking a chip really, truly make a demonstrable difference in its performance?

  39. I had heard that certain processors were optimized for high performance and some processors could be overclocked. But I didn’t realize all the details and how you could determine these details from the H, K and/or HK suffix. Now I know what those suffix letters really mean.

  40. I knew H were high performance processors. But I didn’t know K was for unlocking performance beyond its specifications

  41. One thing I learned from this article that I find interesting is what “H” and “K” mean when referring to Intel model numbers, “K” meaning the processor is unlocked.

  48. I always wondered what the H standed for when shopping for laptops and I learned it is a processor for high perfomance in laptops.

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