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Black Friday is the golden opportunity to snag some great deals on PC upgrade parts, and this year, the spotlight is on CPUs. Now, while I’ve been loyal to AMD’s Team Red for quite some time, I understand that Intel has a strong following, primarily due to its simpler upgrade path for many PCs and those irresistible discounts they frequently offer.
This Black Friday is no different, with significant price drops on Intel’s Core i5, i7, and i9 processors that you won’t want to miss. My attention has been particularly drawn to the 12th Gen chips as they’ve received substantial markdowns, and frankly, gaming performance hasn’t radically shifted despite the launches of newer models in recent years. However, even the 14th Gen CPUs are seeing their prices slashed.
Currently, you can grab the Core i5-12600K for just $150 at Newegg. If you’re looking for a bit more power, the Core i7-12700K is priced slightly higher at $188. And if you’re aiming for peak performance, the Core i9-12900K is available for $255.
🔥 The hottest Black Friday deals 🔥
🍁 More great Black Friday deals 🦃
– Best Buy: Massive savings on video games, accessories, and more
– Walmart: Early savings on all sorts of items
– Target: Deals live on a wide array of products
– Dell: Top offers on laptops, gaming PCs, and more
– HP: Big discounts on laptops, desktops, and accessories
– Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on Lenovo PCs, monitors, and extras
– Newegg: Save on gaming components and accessories
– Razer: Free shipping for a limited time
– Samsung: Holiday sales on laptops, TVs, phones, and more
– Amazon: Constant rotations on sales across all categories
Now, about those unbelievable Intel specials — they’re tempting enough to lure even the most steadfast AMD fans. As someone who’s spent nearly a decade reporting on deals for Windows Central, I can confidently say that Black Friday is the prime time to find unbeatable offers on PC components. Although the big day is still approaching, many top deals are already here.
While AMD has been in the limelight, thanks to the buzz around its Ryzen 7800X3D and 9800X3D, the lack of discounts (and in some cases, stock) on these processors has many gamers exploring alternatives. For Team Red enthusiasts, I’ve put together a separate piece highlighting some compelling AMD Ryzen discounts worth considering.
Meanwhile, Intel’s 12th Gen Core desktop CPUs continue to be a smart choice. Despite the introduction of newer chips, the gaming performance hasn’t changed significantly. After helping friends build PCs on a budget recently, I’ll have to modify my recommendations in light of the new prices.
Currently, the Core i5-12600K is marked down to $149.99. Use code BFEDY2A35 at Newegg to secure this price. It’s a fantastic choice if you’re aiming to allocate budget elsewhere in your build while still ensuring impressive gaming capabilities. If you’re after newer hardware, the Core i5-14600K has also dropped to an all-time low of $215.
The mid-range Core i7-12700K is now at a record-breaking $187 on Amazon. It comes with added cores and threads, which improve multitasking, making it a perfect match with more powerful GPUs. Although you won’t find the Core i7-14700K at a historical low just yet, it’s still competitively priced at $340 at Best Buy, just $10 above its previous July 2024 low.
And let’s not overlook the powerhouse, the Intel Core i9-12900K, now at $254.99 with code BFEDY2A34 at Newegg. It might be a bit much for casual users, but serious multitaskers and gamers seeking top-tier performance will appreciate this deal. The newer Core i9-14900K also sees a considerable markdown, now priced at $424.99 at Newegg.
It’s worth noting that all Intel’s 12th to 14th Gen desktop CPUs fit the LGA1700 socket and are compatible with both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM. So, if you go for an older chip now with plans to upgrade down the line, you can hold onto your existing motherboard and memory.
Though Intel’s latest Core Ultra desktop chips, including the reviewed Core Ultra 9 285K, boast a new socket, they don’t bring a significant edge in gaming performance over the 14th Gen hardware, as Intel seems focused more on productivity improvements.
Turning to AMD’s side of things, it’s tough to find sale prices on two of its most sought-after gaming CPUs. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D holds steady at around $459, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is currently out of stock.
If you’re sticking with AMD, I’d suggest opting for the Ryzen 5 7600X, now $194.99 at Newegg, with a bonus 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD from Team Group — be sure to use code BFEDY2A33. The Ryzen 9 7900X has also dropped to $326.99 with code BFDDY2A84 at Newegg. While the Ryzen 5 7600X suits most gaming needs, the Ryzen 9 offers superior productivity performance with its additional cores.
