A Closer Look

Our Core i9-10900K and Core i5-10600K review samples came in a fancy special packaging meant for reviewers only. The retail Core i5-10600K comes in a conventional-looking paperboard box.

Intel does not include a cooling solution in the retail box. You're expected to use an aftermarket cooler capable of handling thermal loads of up to 125 W TDP.


The Core i5-10600K looks like any LGA1xxx processor released by Intel in the past decade. The processor is only compatible with socket LGA1200 motherboards because the position of the round notches has been changed. It will not work with an older motherboard.


Luckily, socket LGA1200 retains cooler compatibility with all older LGA115x-series sockets. This means you're going to be spoiled for choice when picking a cooler to go with this processor.