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More threads and higher clocks at every price point, but is it enough?
Intel has unveiled its 10thgeneration Core CPUs for desktop, codenamed Comet Lake-S. The new range is an evolutionary upgrade of the 9th-generation range, with the headline improvements being higher clock speeds, improved overclocking control, a rebalancing of the range to offer better value, and a higher thread count at each respective price point.
The flagship Core i9-10900K (KF models come without graphics) features 10 cores and 20 threads, up from the eight and 16 of the 9900K. Clock speeds have also been increased, with up to 5.2GHz now possible, or 5.3 for a short duration if the system cooling allows it. At US$488, it is priced to compete against AMD’s 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X.
Budget-minded users will be pleased to note that the entire Core range, including the i3 and i5 models, all feature hyperthreading. With the i3-10100 featuring four cores and eight threads and a clock speed of up to 4.3GHz, i3 buyers will have performance that rivals Intel’s flagship parts, including the i7-7700K from just three years ago. Pricing also appears to be attractive, with the i3-10100 and i3-10300 priced at US$122 and US$143 respectively. We’ll have to test against AMD’s new quad core Ryzen 3100 and 3300X models to know just how they stack up, though.
With few differences architecturally over the 9thgeneration range, Intel is keen to emphasise the gaming prowess of the range, along with its overclocking capabilities. We’ll have to wait and see how the new models overclock, but given the high clock speeds and strong gaming capabilities of 9th-gen CPUs, we’re sure that gaming performance will continue to be a bright spot for Comet Lake. We expect that the 10700 and 10600 models will offer very good gaming performance at reasonable prices.
10th-generation CPUs feature an improved cooling design over 9th-gen processors. This is due to the introduction of a thinner die and a higher copper content IHS. With Intel’s 14nm process being pushed to its limits along with higher TDP ratings – up to 125W for the higher end models – there’s no doubt that overclocking Comet Lake K CPUs will require very strong cooling solutions. Maintaining the higher Turbo clock speeds will likely require quality cooling, too.
Accompanying the new CPUs are motherboards with the Z490 chipset, which comes with a new LGA 1200 socket. Current LGA 1151 coolers are compatible. The platform offers official DDR4-2933 support, Wi-Fi 6, and many motherboards will include Intel’s i225 2.5G Ethernet controller.
Intel has faced issues with 14nm supply in recent quarters. We’re hoping this won’t impact Comet Lake availability as the new range launches. There’s also the looming threat of AMD’s Zen 3-based processors due later in the year. We’ll be back with a full review of Intel’s 10th generation CPUs and Z490 motherboards in the next issue of