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

    • SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit which is a the vendor’s identification number for a specific product that may also include other information like lot numbers for stock rotation and profit analysis. For instance, the bar-coded UPC that you see on commercial products could be enough to identify an exact same product, but the vendor’s SKU could differentiate the ones bought from the supplier for $221 in 2021 from the ones bought for $240 in 2022.

      • In the contest of this article the SKU is Intel’s number to identify a chip and what it was tested and sold as. Intel CPUs also have traditional 8 alpha-numeric SKUs overclockers call “batch numbers” which are of interest because in theory some batches of CPUs are discovered to have a slightly higher overclocking potential than others, causing a scramble towards these “silicon lottery” winners.

  3. One thing I learned about Intel processors is, ” H means the processor is optimized for high performance in laptops. Most of the fastest laptops have this suffix.” It will help me look for a fast computer.

  5. I thought the whole K intel processor thing was cool. I didn’t know that you could ‘unlock’ processors and ‘reprogram them how you wanted (in a way).

  6. Interesting article ! But when does Intel choose to go from 11th gen to 12 th gen ? Will the next gen also be to celebrate a new design ?

    • Intel chooses many years in advance, what is known as their CPU or technology “roadmap” has code named generations of products past 2024.

  7. Learning about the different suffixes is very interesting and valuable information for me to have. I will definitely be using this knowledge with future purchases I make. Using my computer mainly for gaming makes this information crucial for me.

  8. I learned what the suffix H means. I didn’t know that H means the processor is optimized for high performance in laptops.

  9. Heard of “overclocking “ but didn’t know you had to buy the right one to be able to get that feature out of your laptop. Always pays to pay attention to the details! Thanks for making that article for informative and easy to understand!!

  10. Is it true that one of the versions (H vs K vs HK) requires you to have a dedicated graphics card?

  13. Why do Intel processors increase by odd numbers only? What I mean is why is there an I3, I5, I7 & I9 but no I2, I4, I6, or I8? It just seems odd the version of the processor is increasing by odd numbers but the number of processors or processing power with the exception of the original single releases increases by even numbers. I’m referring to single-core, dual-core, quad-core hexa-core, and octa-core processors.

  14. I learned about the model number suffixes, H & K. And that K can be configured to go beyond the speed set by the manufacturer-overclocking.

    • Not that much to be honest. Barring a mistake that gets a lot of people fired, the days of 50% overclocks by the average Intel user are long gone. The heyday of easy cheap extra cycles likely peaked with the Bloomfield LGA1366 CPUs around 12 years ago. Now a 10-12% overclock keeps you competitive with the next generation which is always around the corner, and though higher overclocks are possible, the costs associated make it a very poor value investment.

      The heyday did leave an interesting legacy in the desktop enthusiast space, as performance and engineering aficionados were supplanted by shilly social media tech bros. There is less actual overclocking now, yet sales of unlocked CPUs and overwrought cooling systems are stronger than ever because of the way PCs are marketed by “independent” promoters as performance automobiles once were. Indeed the “cool looking” PC you see on TikTok is likely to have cost many times more for cooling, lighting, technical enhancements and aesthetic modifications than the “brain” or CPU.

  18. One thing we learned about Intel processors that is interesting is the info about the units capabilities in the suffixs like “H” vs “K” vs “HK”. But also what is the suffix “HX” mean?

  19. Neat article! I actually didn’t know any of this before reading up, very informative- although I don’t really understand the sku thing. Am I to assume that like the other rules of thumb, a higher number is better? What does it affect?

  20. I learnt the meaning of the H suffix. I always knew that the K meant it could be overclocked, but had no idea what the actual meaning behind H was. TIL!

  21. I learned the actual difference between the H and K. As an avid gamer I knew that many preferred the K but I didn’t understand why and now realize that it is due to its ability to be overclocked. Very informative article! Thank you.

  22. I learned what i5 vs i7 vs i9 meant, and that there is a suffix I need to pay attention to! I thought that i5 vs i7 vs i9 was about how new the technology was…. wow…. was I out to lunch or what… and I never really paid attention to the suffix. I am glad I found this contest, and I will make sure to read the articles referred to in this page.

  23. Im typing this on my Xbox internet explorer at the moment because i have no computer and my cell phone went into the ocean, but i learned that the intel Core 12th Gen processors is the performance and is better then using your xbox for social media. lol so i hope the social media gods hear my prayer that i can win an laptop. Twitter Name @Mikmaq_life #BbyIntelgamerdaysContest,

  25. Regarding processor suffix: Do processors with K, meaning you can over clock the processor have a shorter lifespan or more likely to fail sooner? And is a better cooling system therefore required?

  26. The modifier was always clear. I know that my I5 is faster than a Celeron but lags behind an I9. I never really paid attention to the suffix.

  27. I learned the difference between “H” and “K” and what they correspond to “H” for high performance, “K” for overclocking.

  32. I wondered what “h” and “k” meant..
    I learned the difference between “H” and “K” . “H” for high performance, “K” is for overclocking.
    Very helpful!

  39. i have a question too, why does Intel processors use gold in threads? or every processors really has golds?

  41. Ohh… Now i know what’s the difference between H and K, H is optimized for high performance then K is Unlocked for overclocking for more power. Wished i have known this earlier

  43. I’m still confused and don’t understand the difference between cores and threads of an Intel CPU.

  45. I learned the difference between “H” and “K” and what they correspond to “H” for high performance, “K” for overclocking.

    • Almost certainly. Your motherboard would be (FC)LGA 1151 which stands for (Coffee Lake Refresh) Land Grid Array 1151 where 1151 is the number of pins in the array. The i7-8700 you already have is close to the top CPU you could buy for your motherboard.

  47. Question: “If all the laptops have the same/similar processors, what are the actual differences between laptops? Is just design/branding that makes them different, assuming the same intel core?”

  48. I had no idea there was an i9 now, I can only imagine the performance. How many cores does that contain?

    • It depends, for desktops the latest i9-12900 or i9-12900K has 8 cores. For laptops the i9-12900H and i9-12900HK have 6 cores. One of the letters not mentioned in the article is in the i9-12900HX for laptops. The X version uses 8 cores.

  50. Today i learned that the K model is the one unlocked for overclocking, and not all models are able to be overclocked!

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