A comprehensive review of the Intel Core i9-10900K 10-core/20-thread processor by Chinese tech publication TecLab leaked to the web on video sharing site bilibili. Its testing data reveals that Intel has a fighting chance against the Ryzen 9 3900X both in gaming- and non-gaming tasks despite a deficit of 2 cores; whereas the much pricier Ryzen 9 3950X only enjoys leads in multi-threaded synthetic- or productivity benchmarks.

Much of Intel's performance leads are attributed to a fairly high core-count, significantly higher clock speeds than the AMD chips, and improved boosting algorithms, such as Thermal Velocity Boost helping the chip out in gaming tests. Where Intel loses hard to AMD is power-draw and energy-efficiency. TecLab tested the three chips with comparable memory- and identical graphics setups.More charts follow.

Dell's coveted Alienware gaming PC division announced three new product updates. This include the Aurora R11 desktop updated with 10th gen Intel Core processor options; updated Area 51m R2 17.3-inch gaming notebook; and a pair of m-series notebooks. To begin with, Alienware updated its Aurora R11 desktop with processor options that now include the Core i5-10400F, i5-10600KF, i7-10700KF, and i9-10900KF. Memory options now start with DDR4-2933, and go up to DDR4-3200, with size options including 8 GB single-channel, 16 GB dual-channel, 32 GB dual-channel, and 64 GB dual-channel. Storage options begin with 1 TB and 2 TB 7,200 RPM HDD; and go up to M.2 NVMe SSDs ranging between 250 GB to 2 TB, with various options for secondary drives that include SATA SSDs and HDDs. There are also options that combine Optane M10 drives with 7,200 RPM HDDs. Graphics options range all the way from GeForce GTX 1650 to RTX 2080 Super, with all SKUs along the way. 2.5 GbE connectivity is now standard, WLAN options include Intel and Killer 802.11ax + Bluetooth 5 solutions.

Next up, is the Area 51m R2, a 17.3-inch desktop-replacement gaming notebook that comes with desktop-grade hardware. Built into an airy chassis with 17.3-inch screen (options include Full HD and 4K UHD with various refresh-rate options), these notebooks come with CPU options that include Core i7-10700, i7-10700K, i7-10900, and i7-10900K; with memory options ranging between 8 GB single-channel to 32 GB dual-channel, ticking between 2933-3200 MHz. NVMe SSDs are standard issue, beginning with a 256 GB option, with dual-drive and NVMe RAID options being included. Graphics options go from GTX 1660 Ti to RTX 2080 Super (mobile).

A stock Intel Core i9-10900K 10-core processor was subjected to FPU stress by Chinese PC enthusiast @WolStame. The power and temperature values of the processor are inside HEDT territory. With a Furmark GPU stress running on the side, under AIDA64 FPU stress, the i9-10900K measured a package power draw of up to 235.17 W, as measured using HWInfo64. The CPU package temperature shot up to 93 °C. A 240 mm AIO liquid CPU cooling solution was used in the feat. Interestingly, the processor is able to sustain clock speeds of 4.77 GHz, which is close to the advertised 4.80 GHz all-core turbo boost frequency, called for by the multi-core FPU stress.

To show that the values weren't obtained in a few seconds of test, the AIDA64 Stability Test window keeps a timestamp log and displays time elapsed into the stress. In this particular case, the all-core stress has been running for close to 48 minutes; and yet the processor is keeping up with its advertised all-core boost speed, making this an impressive feat.

MSI expanded its lineup of gaming desktops to be refreshed with 10th generation Intel Core processors, with the high-end MEG Infinite X 10th, MAG Infinite S, and MAG Infinite 10th. The company had, earlier this week, announced the refreshed Codex R and MEG Trident X with the new chips. The new MEG Infinite X features Intel's new flagship Core i9-10900K 10-core processor, paired with an Intel Z490 chipset motherboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super graphics, and empty memory- and storage- options. You add your own memory - up to 128 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2933 across four DIMM slots; and your own storage - two M.2-2280 NVMe PCIe slots, two 2.5-inch SATA, and one 3.5-inch SATA drive bays. The MAG Infinite S and MAG Infinite 10th share the same chassis, but use Core i7-10700 8-core processors, and GeForce RTX 2060 graphics. The company didn't reveal pricing.

MSI in its weekly "MSI Insider" livestream shared fascinating insights into the way Intel appears to be sorting out its "Comet Lake" silicon across the various brand extensions of its 10th generation Core desktop processors. Its tech leads Eric Van Beurden and Michiel Berkhout spoke at length about MSI's own evaluation of the trays of Core i5-10600K/KF, i7-10700K/KF, and i9-10900K/KF chips it received (the only unlocked chips across the lineup), which they used as empirical evidence to suggest a model for Intel's binning.

MSI segregated the chips it received into three categories. Level A consists of chips that overclock higher than Intel's specifications (overclocking headroom higher than expected). Level B consists of those that overclock within Intel's specifications. Level C, on the other hand, have their overclocking headroom fall below Intel's specifications. It's important to note here that "Intel specification" doesn't mean "stock frequencies," it refers to the overclocking headroom Intel communicates to motherboard manufacturers, to give them an idea of the minimum board design requirements needed to guarantee overclocking within these specifications, for their Z490 motherboards. These are more of a guideline in nature, all three levels will overclock above stock frequencies.

Even as review embargoes remain on Intel's latest 10th Gen CPUs, benchmark scores that show what these 14 nm CPUS are capable of are already flooding the web. Case in point: a Cinebench 15 benchmark of Intel's unlocked Core i9-10900K running at an overclocked 5.4 GHz on all cores @ 1.35 V core. The 10-core CPU features a base clockspeed set at 3.7 GHz, so we're looking at a frequency increase of around 46%.

At those speeds, tested on an ASRock Phantom Gaming 4/AX motherboard and 16 GB of G.Skill DDR4-3200 MHz CL14 memory, the Intel Core i9-10900K managed to post a 3002 multi-core score. When at stock, it achieved a relatively paltry 2347 points. An AMD Ryzen 7 3800X CPU (8-core, 16-thread) typically scores around 2200 points, and an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU (12-core, 24-thread) achieves a 3200 score. They do so at stock frequencies, though; and the Intel Core i9-10900K is sandwiched in-between those when it comes to core-count, but not on price: 10 Intel cores will set you back $488.00, while AMD's 8-core launched at $399 (and is now cheaper) and AMD's 12-core CPU launched for $499. Adding to the benchmarking caveat, the operating temperatures for this particular Core i9-10900K show 0º min and 69º max, so assuming the temperature report is correct, it's fair to say an air cooler wasn't used for this overclocking feat.

It seems that today Intel lifted an embargo on the preview of its reviewer kit, and thanks to a few websites we have pictures of what the packaging looks like. And it is one fancy packaging for sure with lots of plastic this time around. Intel has decided to switch up its packaging game and now it is very different. Now Intel seems to target aesthetics very similar to AMD Threadripper packaging, with a plastic window that reveals the CPU box that has big words distinguishing whatever the model in question is a Core i5 or Core i9.

The reviewers have gotten two CPU models - Core i9-10900K and Core i5-10600K which are pictured below. Just as a reminder, reviews of these CPUs should go live on May 20th. If you want to get a Z490 motherboard for one of these CPUs, you can pre-order motherboard from your favorite vendor starting from today.More pictures follow.

MSI updated its pre-built gaming desktop product stack with the introduction of two models that are powered by 10th generation Intel Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processors. The Codex R 10th features a more conventional ATX mid-tower design, and comes in two variants. The top variant (model: CODEXR10SC002) is powered by an Intel Core i7-10700F processor, 16 GB of memory, and GeForce RTX 2060 graphics, The value variant (CODEXR10SC003) comes with a Core i5-10400F processor, 8 GB of RAM, and GeForce GTX 1660 Super graphics. Both are based on an Intel B460 chipset motherboard, and offer a 512 GB SSD. A Clutch GM11 mouse and Vigor GK30 keyboard come included with both.

Next up, is the MEG Trident X, a high-end compact gaming desktop that brings the coveted MEG brand to the segment. Inside its 5.1" x 15.06" x 15.6" chassis is high-end hardware that comes in three variants. The top "TridentX862" variant packs a Core i9-10900K processor, 64 GB of DDR4 memory, GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics, and a combination of 1 TB NVMe SSD and 1 TB HDD. The middle variant, "TridentX863," is powered by a Core i7-10700F processor, 32 GB of memory, GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics, and 1 TB NVMe SSD. The most affordable "TridentX864" variant uses the same i7-10700F processor and 32 GB of memory, but paired with RTX 2070 Super graphics. All three use a Z490 chipset Mini-ITX motherboard. Clutch GM11 and Vigor GK30 come included with all three variants. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Intel launched its 10th generation Core desktop processor family last week, with the announcement of a staggering 22 SKUs (32 if you count energy-efficient T-SKUs). This got us wondering if some of the deliciously-priced SKUs such as the $157 6-core/12-thread Core i5-10400F would be available in the first wave. Turns out, it might not.

Apparently, Intel has a split launch schedule for these processors, but in the very first wave, only the unlocked K-SKUs will be available in the market. These would include the 6-core/12-thread Core i5-10600K at $262 (1k-unit tray pricing), the 8-core/16-thread Core i7-10700K at $374, and the flagship 10-core/20-thread Core i9-10900K at $488). The three SKUs will be available in markets within May 2020.

Update May 4th: Intel confirmed that the KF-SKUs will also be part of the first wave.

Schenker today announced the release of their XMG Ultra laptops, which have been purpose/built as desktop alternatives. This means there are no limitations on hardware, and that portability or battery life aren't crucial factors - power is. To that effect, the XMG Ultra launches with a Z490/based motherboard and support for up to a ten-core Intel Core i9-10900K (the Core i7-10700K, with 8 cores, and the Core i7-10600K, with six cores, are also available). You can pair these CPUs with NVIDIA's RTX 2060 SUPER, 2070 SUPER, or 2080 SUPER for close to ultimate performance when it comes to available hardware. You can configure your XMG Ultra with up to 128 GB of system RAM.

Monitor options include a 17,3" 1080p 240 Hz, G-Sync panel, or an Ultra HD G-Sync panel with the same diagonal. The XMG Ultra's call to fame is that it is the first announced laptop with a 10-core Intel solution. And, since you'd be hard pressed to find an AMD offering that packs a comparable CPU with these very same graphics solutions (since OEMs, for some reason, have maxed out AMD CPU + NVIDIA GPU combos with up an RTX 2070 non-SUPER graphics card), this may be your best bet at getting a decent CPU paired with maximum mobile GPU power. Bear in mind that a pretty standard configuration will, however, set you back some €2,799.

Historically, Intel has separated its processors and chipsets that accompany them to overclockable and non-overclockable ones. That means that only the "K" CPUs can be overclocked. With the latest generation, only some parts of the lineup are K CPUs, like the Core i9-10900K, i7-10700K, i5-10600K, etc. Those processors could only be overclocked one put in motherboards based on "Z" chipset, like Z390 and Z490. However, it seems like ASRock has developed a new technology that will overclock non-K CPUs on non-Z motherboards, which is quite impressive.

Called the Base Frequency Boost (BFB) technology, it will allow for overclocking the non-K processors on chipsets like B460 and H470. How will that work you might wonder? Well, ASRock will take the TDP of the CPUs and make it run in the PL1 mode, which increases the processor TDP form 65 W and turns it into a 125 W TDP beast. This will, of course, be user selective and case dependent, meaning that if your cooling system can not handle that much heat coming out from the overclocked processors, it is unlikely that they will reach the peak clocks ASRock can target. You can check out the slide below:

Intel today launched its 10th generation Core desktop processor family and its companion Intel 400-series chipsets. Based on the 14 nm++ silicon fabrication process and built in the new LGA1200 package, the processors are based on the "Comet Lake" microarchitecture. The core design of "Comet Lake" and its IPC are identical to those of "Skylake," however Intel brought significant enhancements to the processor's clock-speed boosting algorithm, increased core- or thread counts across the board, and introduced new features that could interest enthusiasts and overclockers. The uncore component remains largely unchanged from the previous-generation, with support for DDR4 memory and PCI-Express gen 3.0. Use of these processors requires a new socket LGA1200 motherboard, they won't work on older LGA1151 motherboards. You can install any LGA115x-compatible cooler on LGA1200, provided it meets the thermal requirements of the processor you're using.

At the heart of the 10th generation Core processor family is a new 10-core monolithic processor die, which retains the same basic structure as the previous-generation 8-core "Coffee Lake Refresh" die, and 4-core "Skylake." The cores are arranged in two rows, sandwiched by the processor's uncore and iGPU blocks. A ring-bus interconnect binds the various components. The cache hierarchy is unchanged from previous generations as well, with 32 KB each of L1I and L1D caches; 256 KB of dedicated L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The iGPU is the same Gen 9.5 based UHD 630 graphics. As we mentioned earlier, much of Intel's innovation for the 10th generation is with the processor's microcode (boosting algorithms).

Ahead of its launch a leaked ASUS ROG marketing slide reveals Cinebench R15 performance comparisons between the new Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD's current MSDT flagship part, the Ryzen 9 3950X. The graphs also include Intel's previous gen flagship, the i9-9900K, which should provide a reasonable indication of where the new Core i7-10700K performance could land.

In the single-threaded Cinebench R15 test, the Core i9-10900K scores 222 points, while the 3950X scores 213, which is a 4.22% lead for the new Intel flagship over AMD's. The i9-9900K is 2.81% faster than the 3950X in the same test. The landscape changes completely with multi-thread. Armed with 16 cores and 32 threads, the 3950X tests 48.61% faster than the i9-10900K, and a whopping 94.14% faster than the i9-9900K, which means the 3950X should land around 90% (±5%) faster than the i7-10700K. Core i9-10900K vs. Ryzen 9 3900X should make for a fascinating contest.

Ahead of its launch, tech publication HD Tecnologia posted the press-deck of Intel's 10th generation Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processor series, as its launch is imminent (30th April, according to the slides). Right upfront, we see Intel's new retail packaging for the flagship Core i9 parts. Gone is the large acrylic dodecahedron, and in its place is a conventional paperboard-looking cuboidal box with a large triangular cutout window (probably made of LDPE) on the front face, which reveals the processor inside.

The next slide reveals all that's new with the 10th generation Core processor family, starting with clock speeds of up to 5.30 GHz, the desktop debut of Intel's Thermal Velocity Boost technology, HyperThreading being enabled across the board (Core i9 thru Core i3), native support for DDR4-2933, new CPU- and memory-overclocking features, and new platform I/O through the 400-series chipset. Next up, we see overclocker-relevant new features. Apparently, these processors allow you to toggle HyperThreading on a per-core basis. Until now, you could toggle HTT only across all cores. Next up, is "overclocking" for the PCI-Express x16 link (PEG) and DMI chipset bus. There are improved V/F curve controls with this generation. Intel is preparing to announce updated XTU and Performance Maximizer utilities. There are some packaging-level refinements, too, such as a physically thinner die (Z-height), making way for a thicker IHS. The internal TIM is still solder. We now move on to the actual SKUs.

As if reports of Intel's latest mobile flagship Core i9-10980HK pulling up to 135 W power in short bursts to achieve its 5.30 GHz Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) frequency weren't bad enough, it appears like the 10th generation Core desktop processors won't win Intel any prizes in the energy efficiency contests. According to tech Tweeter "@9550Pro," citing Chinese enthusiast @Wolstame, with a reasonably high hit-rate with tech rumors, Intel's upcoming Core i9-10900F processor can pull up to 224 Watts of power. The i9-10900F isn't even an unlocked chip like i9-10900K, but rather an iGPU-disabled version of the locked i9-10900.

The i9-10900F 10-core/20-thread processor allegedly has its PL1 value set at 170 W, and PL2 at 224 W. The latter is probably needed to give the chip's TVB algorithm power headroom to achieve either the chip's 5.30 GHz TVB max frequency, or its maximum all-core boost frequency of 4.50 GHz. The latter could be Intel's strategy to take on AMD's Ryzen 9 3900X and 3950X in multi-threaded benchmarks (run 10 cores at 4.50 GHz). Intel is possibly looking to price the i9-10900 series (i9-10900F, i9-10900, i9-10900KF, and i9-10900K) at price-points ranging between $450-500, if not more. With these power-draw figures, it's all but certain that Intel could recommend serious cooling solutions for the i9-10900 series, at least a 240 mm x 120 mm AIO. AMD recommends a 280 mm x 140 mm AIO for the 16-core 3950X.

Marketing materials of Intel's upcoming 10th generation Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processors leaked to the web confirm the lineup's core-counts. The series will be led by 10-core/20-thread Core i9 processors, with Thermal Velocity Boost frequencies of up to 5.30 GHz. The Core i7 series will consist of 8-core/16-thread processors, with up to 5.10 GHz TVB frequencies. The Core i5 series gets its biggest shot in the arm, with the introduction of HyperThreading for the first time in 8 generations (the last Core i5 desktop processors with HTT were dual-core first-generation Core chips). The 10th gen Core i5 series chips are 6-core/12-thread, with clock-speeds running up to 4.80 GHz.

These frequencies should indicate two interesting things. One, that the Core i5-10600K will outperform the Core i7-8700K (6-core/12-thread, up to 4.70 GHz boost), resulting in a roughly 35% increase in price-performance vs. the i7-8700K, if it ends up being priced at $260. Two, that the Core i7-10700K will outperform the Core i9-9900K on virtue of 100 MHz higher frequencies, and give the segment a roughly 30% price-performance increase compared to the i9-9900K, if the i7-10700K ends up priced at $380. The Core i9-10900K will outperform the i9-9900K both in single- and multi-threaded fronts given its 300 MHz higher max boost and two extra cores (four extra threads), in what could be a roughly 25% price-performance gain, assuming an unchanged $500 price.

A Dutch website has listed what seems to be the entirety of Intel's upcoming 10th gen CPU lineup, with prices to boot. Of course, we have to take these listings with various grains of salt: e-tailers are known to sometimes display higher pricing than the manufacturer's MSRP when products still haven't been listed on other websites.

The listing below showcases model number and pricing for each Intel processor. Should this pricing actually come to pass in a generalized way, we're looking at Intel's Core i9-10900KF processor (which is currently listed for €567.73 including 21% VAT) competing with AMD's closest-priced CPU Ryzen 9 3800X, which is already street-priced at €449. The Core i5 10400F, on the other hand, is listed at €196.99, which means it currently competes with AMD's Ryzen 5 3600X at €199.99. It remains to be seen which of these CPUs will win in a direct shootout. Remember that for US pricing you typically just swap out the € currency for $, and you've got your price estimate pretty close to final.

Alleged pictures of the upcoming Intel Core i9-10900K and i7-10700K processors made it to Chinese social media. The blurry-cam pictures of the chips' topside don't reveal much other than the "Intel Confidential" markings, denoting that these chips are engineering samples. The reverse side confirm that these are chips are built in the new LGA1200 package. You can also spot electrical ancillaries laid out unlike any previous-gen Intel package, and different socket key notches.

In the run up to the rumored April 2020 launch we could learn more about these chips. Based on the 14 nm "Comet Lake" silicon, Intel's 10th generation Core desktop processors in the LGA1200 package increase logical processor counts across the board, and increase clock speeds. The i9-10900K is a 10-core/20-thread processor with 20 MB of shared L3 cache, and up to 5.10 GHz boost frequency, with 4.80 GHz all-core boost. The i7-10700K, on the other hand, is an 8-core/16-thread chip with 16 MB L3 cache, and clock speeds of 5.00 GHz boost and 4.50 GHz all-core Turbo. The Core i5 series also gets a shot in the arm, being configured as 6-core/12-thread, with 12 MB of L3 cache. The per-core performance (IPC) is expected to be the same as 6th generation "Skylake."

Ahead of their rumored April 2020 availability product codes of Intel's upcoming 10th generation Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processors leaked to the web, courtesy momomo_us. The lineup includes 22 individual SKUs, although it's unknown if all of these will be available in April. There are four 10-core/20-thread SKUs: the i9-10900K, the i9-10900KF, the i9-10900, and the i9-10900F. The "K" extension denotes unlocked multiplier, while the "F" extension indicates lack of integrated graphics. "KF" indicates a SKU that's both unlocked and lacking an iGPU. Similarly, there are four 8-core/16-thread Core i7 SKUs, the i7-10700K, the i7-10700KF, the i7-10700, and the i7-10700F.

The 6-core/12-thread Core i5 family has several SKUs besides the range-topping i5-10600K and its siblings, i5-10600KF and i5-10600. These include the i5-10500, i5-10400, and i5-10400F. The quad-core Core i3 lineup includes the i3-10320, i3-10300, and i3-10100. The former two have 8 MB L3 cache, while the i3-10100 has 6 MB. Among the entry-level Pentium SKUs are the G6600, G6500, G6400, G5920, and G5900.

At its 2020 IEEE ISSCC keynote, AMD presented two slides that detail the extent of cost savings yielded by its bold decision to embrace the MCM (multi-chip module) approach to not just its enterprise and HEDT processors, but also its mainstream desktop ones. By confining only those components that tangibly benefit from cutting-edge silicon fabrication processes, namely the CPU cores, while letting other components sit on relatively inexpensive 12 nm, AMD is able to maximize its 7 nm foundry allocation, by making it produce small 8-core CCDs (CPU complex dies), which add up to AMD's target core-counts. With this approach, AMD is able to cram up to 16 cores onto its AM4 desktop socket using two chiplets, and up to 64 cores using eight chiplets on its SP3r3 and sTRX4 sockets.

In the slides below, AMD compares the cost of its current 7 nm + 12 nm MCM approach to a hypothetical monolithic die it would have had to build on 7 nm (including the I/O components). The slides suggest that the cost of a single-chiplet "Matisse" MCM (eg: Ryzen 7 3700X) is about 40% less than that of the double-chiplet "Matisse" (eg: Ryzen 9 3950X). Had AMD opted to build a monolithic 7 nm die that had 8 cores and all the I/O components of the I/O die, such a die would cost roughly 50% more than the current 1x CCD + IOD solution. On the other hand, a monolithic 7 nm die with 16 cores and I/O components would cost 125% more. AMD hence enjoys a massive headroom for cost-cutting. Prices of the flagship 3950X can be close to halved (from its current $749 MSRP), and AMD can turn up the heat on Intel's upcoming Core i9-10900K by significantly lowering price of its 12-core 3900X from its current $499 MSRP. The company will also enjoy more price-cutting headroom for its 6-core Ryzen 5 SKUs than it did with previous-generation Ryzen 5 parts based on monolithic dies.

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2020, Living Room PC manufacturer STEIGER DYNAMICS launches the liquid cooled FORGE compact Gaming PC. Measuring only 6.7 x 18.5 x 10.8 inches (17 x 47 x 27.4 cm (WxHxD), 22 L volume), FORGE feels equally home on desks, TV cabinets and other areas with limited space. FORGE can be placed vertically or horizontally while providing equal cooling performance and quietness levels.

Based on a modified Phanteks Evolve Shift chassis, FORGE features a high-quality, vibration-optimized, sand-blasted aluminium design with side mesh or windows. FORGE is available in Satin Black and Anthracite Grey color options. 120 and 140 mm CPU liquid cooling options and 140 mm case fans allow for maximum air flow and ultra-quiet operation at idle and low loads. This gives FORGE the capability to handle latest generation overclocked Intel CPUs up to 10 cores/20 threads and the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X with 16 cores/32 threads as well full-size NVIDIA graphics cards up to the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.

Intel's upcoming Core i9-10900K desktop processor is up to 30 percent faster than the Core i9-9900K according to the company, which put out a performance guidance slide that got leaked to the web. Based on the 14 nm "Comet Lake-S" silicon and built for the new LGA1200 platform (Intel 400-series chipset motherboards); the i9-10900K is a 10-core/20-thread processor that leverages increased TDP headroom of 125 W to sustain higher clock-speeds than 9th generation "Coffee Lake Refresh," while also offering a 25% increase in processing muscle over the i9-9900K, thanks to the two additional CPU cores.

In its performance guidance slide, Intel shows the i9-10900K scoring 30% more than the i9-9900K in SPECint_rate_base2006_IC16.0. There's also a 25% boost in floating-point performance, in SPECfp_rate_base2006_IC16.0, which roughly aligns with the additional core count, as both these tests are multi-threaded. Other noteworthy results include a 26% gain in Cinebench R15, and 10% in SYSMark 2014 SE. In tests that don't scale with cores, Intel appears to rely entirely on the increased clock-speeds and improved boosting algorithm to eke out performance gains in the low-to-mid single-digit percentages. Intel is introducing a new clock-speed boosting technology called Thermal Velocity Boost, which can dial up clock-speeds of the i9-10900K up to 5.30 GHz.

Ahead of a possible reveal in the sidelines of CES, followed by an early-Q2 2020 product-launch, company slides detailing Intel's 10th generation Core desktop processors in the LGA1200 package, codenamed "Comet Lake-S," leaked to the web courtesy Informatica Cero. They confirm that HyperThreading will play a key role, with Intel enabling it across the lineup. The range-topping Core i9 series will be 10-core/20-thread along with 20 MB of L3 cache. The Core i7 series will be 8-core/16-thread, along with 16 MB L3 cache. The all-important Core i5 series will be 6-core/12-thread, equipped with 12 MB of L3 cache. The Core i3 series will have two sub-tiers: i3-103xx series with 4-core/8-thread and 8 MB L3 cache; and i3-101xx series 4-core/8-thread with 6 MB L3 cache.

The Core i7 and Core i9 "Comet Lake" chips will feature native support for dual-channel DDR4-2933, while the Core i5 and Core i3 will make do with native DDR4-2667 support (memory overclocking possible). Besides core/thread counts, and cache size increases, Intel will dial up clock speeds across the board by as much as 300 MHz per SKU (vs. their 9th gen predecessor), and introduce Turbo Boost Max 3.0, which has been exclusive to its HEDT processors. The introduction of Turbo Boost Max 3.0 could also bring about modern favored-core capability (benefiting Windows 10 1909 and later). The classic Turbo Boost is also available. There's also a mysterious new feature called "Thermal Velocity Boost," with its own set of clock-speeds depending on core/thread load. The chips could also feature Modern Standby C10 power-state support (first to the desktop platform). Intel is said to have also added several new core and memory overclocking features on the K-SKUs.

This piece of news shouldn't surprise anyone, except for the fact that Intel is apparently signing on a TDP of 125 W for even its K-series unlocked processors for their next-generation Comet Lake-S family. Intel's current Comet Lake 9900K CPU features a TDP of "only" 95 W - when compared to the rumored 125 W of the 10900K), whilst their current top offering, the i9-9900KS, features a 127 W TDP. Remember that Intel's 10900K should feature 10 cores and 20 threads, two extra cores than their current 9900K - this should explain the increased TDP, a mathematical necessity given that Intel can only count on marginal improvements to its 14 nm fabrication process to frequencies and power consumption of its CPUs.

A leaked slide from momomo on Twitter shows, if real, that Intel's future enthusiast-grade CPUs (likely i5-10600K, i7-10700K and i9-10900K) will feature this 125 W TDP, while other launches in that family will make do with the more traditional 65 W TDP (interesting to see that Intel has some 10-core CPUs with 65 W TDP, the same as their current 9900, despite two more cores). A footnote on the leaked slide shows that these K processors can be configured for a 95 W TDP, but this would likely come at a significant cost to operating frequency. Intel seems to be bringing a knife to a gunfight (in terms of core counts and TDP) with AMD's Ryzen 3000 and perhaps Ryzen 4000 CPUs, should those and Intel's future offerings actually coexist in the market.