Intel strikes back
CAN 10TH-GEN CUT IT IN THIS AMD WORLD? i9-10900K & i5-10600K IN THE LABS
It seems like recent Intel CPU generations have been akin to Plan B, C, and probably D. Most tech enthusiasts know that Intel should have had 10nm desktop products on the market a long time ago, along with a new architecture. 10th Gen is what it is, though, so rather than bash Intel, let’s keep in mind that 10th generation CPUs actually are faster and have more threads at each price point compared to 9th Gen models. The real question is, is it enough when faced with an AMD that continues to gain momentum?
More threads and higher frequencies
Despite being an evolutionary upgrade, there are a few fundamental differences, including an improved thermal design with a thinner die and higher copper content heatspreader. The whole Core range now includes Hyperthreading, which adds significant value across the range, though truthfully Intel could have activated HT on i3 and i5 models years ago. Continual refining of the 14nm process means clock speeds are higher than ever and this alone is responsible for a lot of the performance uplift at the various price points.
Accompanying 10th generation CPUs is a new socket and chipset. We really would have liked drop in compatibility with 300 series chipsets, but the extra pins are required for power delivery reasons and unconfirmed future compatibility. Luckily, current LGA 115x coolers can be used with the new platform.
Meet the i9-10900k and i5-10600k
The headline is of course the release of the Core i9-10900K, a 10-core/20-thread model. It’s got a 3.7GHz base clock, yet can boost as high as 5.3GHz on up to two cores if you keep the temperature under 70c. TDP has increased to 125W, but that figure is misleading as we recorded a figure of 228W when under default all-core load, which is 4.9 GHz. It’s priced at $999 with a probable cooler purchase on top of that, which is a tough sell compared to the $779 Ryzen 3900X, which comes with its own cooler.
The Core 15-10600K is arguably the most interesting CPU in the whole range. It’s a 6-core/12thread model and it can be summed up as a slightly faster 8700K. It has a base frequency of
Gaming performance rules, but the competition remains tough
As expected, the 10900K is indeed the fastest gaming processor on the market right now. If you’re serious about gaming, and run a high refresh rate monitor, then there’s nothing better. Full load resulted in a temperature of 79C, which is not as bad as we thought it might be, but bear in mind we are using a high end AIO cooler, so it’s safe to say a mid-range cooler will be seriously stretched by a stock 10900K under full load.
The 10900K goes up against the very capable AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, which offers two more cores yet comes in as much as 25% cheaper. Even when overclocked the 10900K cannot match its multithreaded prowess.
The 10600K also fares well in gaming and it’s a better ‘frames per dollar’ proposition. We were very surprised at how efficient the
10600K was. Its power figures are quite reasonable at 112W under full load with the temperature at a perfectly acceptable 70C, which hardly stressed our cooler at all.
The 10600K is cheaper than the 3700X but faces price competition from below in the form of the 3600 and 3600X. Though they offer particularly good value, they are also 6-core models and only pull ahead in heavily multi-threaded scenarios.
Decent overclocking, though there’s not much left in the tank
While time limitations prevented us from dialing in a truly stable 24/7 overclock, our 10900K was happy to run Cinebench at an all-core 5.2GHz at 1.3v (for a score of 6646). 1.3v isn’t a particularly high voltage, however temperatures rise into the mid 80s even with our very capable 360mm Nzxt Kraken pump set to 100%. Peak CPU power draw was 261 watts. Look for power consumption to ramp up a lot when moving beyond 1.3v. It’s clear that if you’re looking at hitting 5.2GHz+ with full stability, you’ll need top shelf cooling, a quality CPU sample, or both.
Our 10600K was less capable, with 5.1GHz bootable, but unstable even with 1.35v; however, running at 5.0GHz allowed us to drop the voltage back to a perfectly acceptable 1.3v. Cinebench returned a score of 3,924. If you’re interested in overclocking, then a 10600K at 5GHz gives you a lot performance for its price.
We want something genuinely new
The 10900K does what Intel claims it does. It’s the fastest gaming processor on the market but at $1,000, it’s too expensive. If gaming is your primary task, you’ll love it, however the 3900X delivers better multithreading performance for significantly less money and with a much lower power draw. Once the load moves on to the GPU, the difference in gaming performance becomes negligible anyway.
The 10600K is the more interesting model. At $499, it offers good value and very good gaming performance, particularly if you overclock it. It’s got acceptable power draw and you don’t need top-spec cooling to tame it. Along with the slightly cheaper 10600KF, it looks like the standout of the 10th generation range.
If you’re upgrading from an eight- or 10-year-old system, then you’ll be amazed at the performance jump, but if you’re on 6th generation or newer, there’s little reason to upgrade. If you could drop a 10th gen CPU into a Z170 board that would be great, but, of course, you can’t. Do you need more cores? Then AMD offers more cores at each price point.
What are we to make of Comet Lake? If you are a serious gamer, They are the best choice, but for everyone else, AMD still looks good from a price/performance perspective, plus there’s 4th generation Ryzen on its way in the coming months. We’re left waiting for something truly exciting and new from Intel. 10th Generation isn’t it. Come on Intel, we want to be wowed. Please give us something new. Really new. CHRIS SZEWCZYK
10th Generation CPUs aren’t bad, but they’re really more of the same, which leaves us underwhelmed.
“As expected, the 10900K is indeed the fastest gaming processor on the market right now. If you’re serious about gaming, and run a high refresh rate monitor, then there’s nothing better.”