Intel's new Core Ultra processor model nomenclature is significantly different from the Core i7 series that held for 14 generations, since its 2008 debut. The desktop Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor family is led by the Core Ultra 9 285K, which is positioned as a successor to the Core i9-14900K. The choice of numbering the top SKU "285K" instead of something like the "290K," which even caused the top Core Ultra 7 SKU to be numbered the "265K," raises a few questions. The biggest of these is if Intel is creating room for a near-future SKU to go with "295K."

In the classic Intel Core series nomenclature, the digit following the first two, designates a position in the product stack. For example, in the i9-14900K, "14" points to the processor generation, followed by "9" as the top-spec SKU. If you wind the clocks back to the 10th Gen Core "Comet Lake," there was a top-spec Core i9-10900K, but there was also a Core i9-10850K. Both the i9-10900K and the i9-10850K are unlocked 10-core/20-thread parts with identical TDP, set apart only by their stock clock speeds. Could it be possible that the Core Ultra 9 285K is a distant descendant of the i9-10850K, and that Intel's top "Arrow Lake-S" part is the "295K?" Momomo_us recently dug out an inconspicuous Intel Support webpage listing out Core Ultra desktop processors without an included fan-heatsink. This is very likely a typo, but the page mentions a "295K" SKU instead of the Core Ultra 9 285K. This caused us to wonder if the "295K" is being reserved for an i9-14900KS successor.

TechPowerUp today released the latest version of ThrottleStop by Kevin Glynn, a handy utility that lets you take greater control over the power-management features of your processor, so you can prevent it from unnecessarily throttling. This is particularly useful with notebooks that have aggressive CPU throttling. With the latest version 9.3, ThrottleStop introduces support for Core i9-10900K and i9-10850K processors, including a new Turbo Group access window.

The Turbo Power Limit controls have been updated with a toggle that lets you disable TPL control, along with the ability to clear TPL Lock options. The ThrottleStop Bench and C-State windows have been updated for 10th Gen Core processors. Other improvements include limit reasons for 10th and 11th Gen Core processors, improved access to Windows internal power plans, access to the PROCHOT offset variable, AVX offset control for Unlocked K-series processors, reporting and logging of Thermal Velocity Boost and Vmax stress. Several other UI changes were made. Grab ThrottleStop 9.3 from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp ThrottleStop 9.3 by Kevin GlynnThe change-log follows.

Intel today has officially launched their new Core i9-10850K CPU. The 10-core, 20-thread design slots in between the top of the line i9-10900K and the i9-10800K, and only features a small (100 MHz) clock reduction compared to the 10900K across all clocks (this means base, set at 3.6 GHz; Turbo Boost Max 2.0, reaching 5.0 GHz; Turbo Boost 3.0 going up to 5.1 GHz. Thermal Velocity Boost tech is also supported, which should allow for up to 5.2 GHz on a single core and a 4.8 GHz clock across all cores. The TDP remains the same as the 10900K at 125 W, with the same Tau and PL1/PL2 values as 10900K (56 sec, 125 W, and 250 W).

The new CPU improves on the value proposition of the 10900K by being available at around 10% less than Intel's top-of-the-line Comet Lake-S CPU, with pricing set at $453 (at 1K tray quantities). As Intel's manufacturing woes and 14 nm production output keep failing to meet demand, it's likely that the company will continue to fine-tune its product stack with as many CPUs as it can, in order to achieve higher ASP on each model than they would if they had to only count on manufacturing yields and/or manually disabling cores in chips that can't quite hit their advertised speeds for each CPU model. The Core i9-10850K retains compatibility with Intel's Z490, H470 and B460-based motherboards.

Intel's upcoming Core i9-10850K desktop processor, which was earlier believed to be an OEM-exclusive, is coming to the DIY retail channel after all. The 10-core Socket LGA1200 processor surfaced on retailers Cyclotron and LambdaTek as pre-orders, priced at 472€ and £459, including taxes, which aligns with its rumored USD $449 pre-tax price Stateside. At these prices, the i9-10850K is closer in price to the locked i9-10900 than to the top i9-10900K part.

Based on the 14 nm "Comet Lake-S" silicon, the Core i9-10850K is a 10-core/20-thread processor clocked up to 5.20 GHz, with 20 MB of L3 cache. Where it differs from the i9-109xx series is the lack of the Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) feature. You still get an unlocked multiplier. The i9-10850K is hence provides a roughly $50 saving over the i9-10900K to give up the 100 MHz higher clock speed enabled by TVB. In the retail channel, the chip goes by the SKU "BX8070110850K."

Intel's upcoming Core i9-10850K processor started appearing as a configurator option on Digital Storm pre-built gaming desktops. The 10-core/20-thread Socket LGA1200 processor comes with an unlocked multiplier, but is positioned between the $440 Core i9-10900 (locked) processor and the $499 i9-10900K flagship part. Intel differentiates the i9-10900K from the i9-10850K by stripping the latter of the Thermal Velocity Boost feature. The processor now has a maximum boost frequency of 5.20 GHz, and it gets there using the Turbo Boost Max 3.0 algorithm. The lack of TVB is attributable to the processor model numbering being i9-108xx rather than i9-109xx. Despite being locked parts, the i9-10900 and i9-10900F get TVB.

It's still not known if Intel will release the Core i9-10850K to the DIY retail channel, but the fact that it's surfacing on a pre-built vendor's site points to the possibility of the chip being OEM-exclusive, and even begins to explain its raison d'être. Thermal Velocity Boost is a cooling-sensitive feature, and hitting the advertised 5.30 GHz TVB frequency comes with steep cooling requirements for OEMs, which they probably could do with less of. The processor should still perform nearly on-par with the i9-10900K in most scenarios, including gaming. Our review of the i9-10900 shows how you could potentially save $60 over choosing the i9-10900K, if you didn't plan on serious overclocking for the latter. With Intel's pricing of the i9-10850K, we can deduce that Intel values Thermal Velocity Boost at $50 (i9-10850K vs. i9-10900K), and unlocked multiplier at $10 (i9-10900 vs. i9-10850K).