In addition to the special-edition version of the Core i9-12900K, Intel announced it’s discontinuing the remaining CPUs in its 10th-gen lineup. The main stack of Intel’s 10th-gen lineup, including processors like the Core i9-10900K, has already been discontinued.

The newest PCN culls less prominent models like Intel’s Pentium and Celeron lineups. It also includes the Core i5-10400F, which has remained one of the more popular budget options among Intel’s CPUs.

However, the Core i9-12900KS is odd because Chipzilla didn’t release a “Special Edition” model for its 10th-gen or 11th-gen flagship CPU. Before the Core i9-12900KS, the last one we saw was the Core i9-9900KS, released in 2019 and discontinued a little over a year later. The Core i9-12900KS lasted longer.

It seems to have set a pattern for Chipzilla. The company has released a Special Edition model for the Core i9-13900K and Core i9-14900K, which will likely be discontinued in a similar timeframe.

The change takes effect at the start of 2025, giving you ample time to secure a Core i9-12900KS. It’s currently a steal, priced at around €300 for a 16-core CPU, a significant drop from its original €730 list price just over two years ago.

With the 10th-gen lineup, Intel is bidding farewell to its 14nm era. Intel discontinued its 11th-gen processors last year, and these last few 10th-gen models officially close the door on 14nm. Intel struggled for several generations to move on from its 14nm node in the face of fierce competition from AMD’s Ryzen CPUs, eventually leading to the Intel 7 process and the introduction of 12th-gen CPUs.