Intel Announces End of Life for 12th Generation Alder Lake Processors

Published on January 22, 2026 | Translated from Spanish
Promotional image or render of an Intel Core 12th generation Alder Lake processor on a dark background, possibly showing the IHS and logo.

Intel Announces End of Life for 12th Generation Alder Lake Processors

Intel has officially announced that its desktop Alder Lake processors, corresponding to the 12th generation, have reached the end of their commercial life cycle. This means the company will stop manufacturing and distributing these components as new products. The process has a defined timeline, providing a margin for sales channels. 🏁

Key Timeline for Acquiring These Components

The announcement sets specific deadlines. Distributors can request their last units until July 25, 2026. For its part, Intel commits to shipping all these final orders before January 22, 2027. This ensures that, although production ceases, the chips will remain available in the market for users to purchase during an additional period.

Main Points of the Timeline:
  • Deadline for distributors to request: July 25, 2026.
  • Deadline for Intel to deliver: January 22, 2027.
  • Window of opportunity for end users seeking this generation.
Those planning to wait for prices to drop further should reconsider their strategy, as the available stock has an expiration date.

A Unique Platform with Limited Days

The Alder Lake series has an important legacy. It was Intel's first hybrid architecture for the general public, combining performance and efficiency cores. Its other great advantage was RAM memory flexibility, as compatible motherboards could use both DDR4 and DDR5 modules. This duality was eliminated in subsequent generations.

Features that Make This Generation Unique:
  • Introduced Intel's hybrid architecture for the consumer market.
  • Offered dual compatibility with DDR4 and DDR5 memory on the same platform.
  • Serves as a transition option for those who don't want to switch to DDR5 yet.

Time to Decide

If you have in mind building or upgrading a system with the option to choose between DDR4 and DDR5, or want to take advantage of this pioneering generation, time is running out. The announced deadlines mark the beginning of the end of availability for these processors in the market. Once the final orders are exhausted, it will be much harder to find these new CPUs. ⌛