The Intel 10th generation CPUs are already waiting in line for their debut. Today we will talk about what to expect from Intel Comet Lake 10th Gen CPUs. Before we get into details, let us rewind back to the 6th gen Skylake microarchitecture.
Skylake took many forms upon its introduction. This may have been the case after the new Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Ryzen CPUs launched. This pressure made Intel roll out higher core counts on all three of its consumer-grade CPUs.
The current Core i3 CPU falls in the quad-core segment. The Core i5 gained an extra 2 cores as well giving it a total of 6 cores now. While the lower-end models got 2 extra cores, it was not the case with the mid to high-end Core i7 variant.
The core count was the same as the Core i5 and on top of that Intel also cut down on Hyperthreading in this lineup. Hyperthreading technology was moved to Core i9 CPUs only. This may have turned many people away from Intel.
The Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake CPUs will launch soon. This raises the question, will Intel make up for its previous mistakes? Let’s find out.
Intel Comet Lake Release Date, Specs, Performance, News and Rumors
Expected Release Date
While a fixed number is not set when we talk about an exact date, the NDA document gave us two dates (April 13th & June 26th). The huge gap between both the dates may indicate a few things.
The launch may either take place between these two dates, or the two variants K & KF series may release separately. The KF series only differs by supporting no onboard graphics. Hence this slight difference between both variants does not make up for a solid point.
However, we also heard that Intel is facing a lack of capacity in production which may be the case with the date gap. We also know that LGA1200 z490 motherboards will be announced in May so it only makes sense for the Comet Lake CPUs to follow up.
Intel Comet Lake-S 10 Gen 125W Desktop CPU Family
The unlocked lineup of CPUs consists of three variants. We have the flagship core i9 10900K followed by the Core i7 10700K and the last but not least the Core i5 10600K. There is no sign for an unlocked Core i3 listing.
While the Core i3 CPUs now support a quad-core configuration, an unlocked version should prove successful targeting a very competitive market. It costs around $180, but it does not sound like a good bargain considering the current Ryzen 3 3200G is a quad-core fully unlocked APU for $156.
Intel Comet Lake Core i9 10900K
At the moment, the 10th generation Comet Lake has four variants with the flagship Core i9 being on top. The Core i9 10900K features 10 cores, 20 threads with a 20MB of total cache and a 125W TDP. It comes with an idle frequency of 3.7GHz and boosts up to 5.1GHz. This also supports the Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 and can reach up to 5.2GHz on a single core and 4.9GHz on all core-boost.
Here is a list that sums up the Core i9 10900K:
- 4.8 GHz All-Core Turbo
- 5.3 / 4.0 GHz Thermal Velocity Boost Singe / All-core Turbo
- 5.2 GHz Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0
- Up to 10C and 20T
- 2933MHz DDR4 dual-channel
- Enhanced Core & Memory Overclocking
- Active Core Group Tuning
Another interesting feature on the new chip is that it will also get a Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB). This feature is also present on the current flagship products. The feature helps boost to higher frequencies on both single and all-core more efficiently.
However, this will require good aftermarket cooling solutions to have this utilize the (TVB) feature. Here you can find Fire Strike benchmark scores spotted by data miner _Rogame.
Intel Comet Lake Core i7 10700k
The Comet Lake Core i7 10700k will be featuring 8 cores and 16 threads followed by a 16MB total cache. The base clock will 3.6GHz idle and will boost up to 5.1GHz on a single-core. On all cores, this will boost up to 4.9GHz. The Core i7 10700K will also support Turbo Boost 3.0.
In comparison to the older generation Core i9 9900k, this has a higher single-core boost with a 100MHz difference. On all-cores, it does the opposite boosting 100MHz less. This will cost around $350 to 400 dollars. Here is what the Comet Lake Core i7 10700k sums up to:
- 3.8 GHz Idle-Core
- 5.1 GHz Single Core Boost
- 4.9 GHz All-Core Boost
- 2933MHz DDR4 dual-channel
- Enhanced Core & Memory Overclocking
Intel Comet Lake Core i5 10600K
The Comet Lake Core i5 10600K will feature 6 cores and 12 threads in a 125W of TDP. This also packs 12MB of total cache with a 4.1GHz base clock. The single-core boosts at 4.8GHz and the all-core boost will sit at 4.5Ghz. This is said to be faster than the flagship 8th generation Intel Core i7 8700K.
This CPU will float in the $220 to $270 price tag. This is decent pricing considering it is a 6 core multi-threaded chip. Here is how the 6 core Comet Lake CPU sums up:
- 4.1 GHz Idle-Core
- 4.8 GHz Single Core Boost
- 4.5 GHz All-Core Boost
- 2933MHz DDR4 dual-channel
- Enhanced Core & Memory Overclocking
Intel Comet Lake 10th Gen Desktop CPU Family
| CPU Name | Cores / Threads | Base Clock | Single-Core Boost Clock | Turbo Boost Max 3.0 (Single-Core) | All Core Boost Clock | Cache | TDP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9-10900K | 10/20 | 3.7 GHz | 5.1 GHz 5.3 GHz (Velocity) | 5.2 GHz | 4.8 GHz 4.9 GHz (Velocity) | 20 MB | 125W | TBD |
| Intel Core i9-10900KF | 10/20 | 3.7 GHz | 5.1 GHz 5.3 GHz (Velocity) | 5.2 GHz | 4.8 GHz 4.9 GHz (Velocity) | 20 MB | 125W | TBD |
| Intel Core i9-10900 | 10/20 | 2.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz 5.2 GHz (Velocity) | 5.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz 4.6 GHz (Velocity) | 20 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i9-10900F | 10/20 | 2.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz 5.2 GHz (Velocity) | 5.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz 4.6 GHz (Velocity) | 20 MB | 65W | |
| Intel Core i9-10900T | 10/20 | 2.0 GHz | 4.5 GHz | TBD | TBD | 20 MB | 35W | TBD |
| Intel Core i7-10700K | 8/16 | 3.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 16 MB | 125W | TBD |
| Intel Core i7-10700KF | 8/16 | 3.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 16 MB | 125W | |
| Intel Core i7-10700 | 8/16 | 2.9 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 4.8 GHz | 16 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i7-10700F | 8/16 | 2.9 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 4.8 GHz | 16 MB | 65W | |
| Intel Core i7-10700T | 8/16 | 2.0 GHz | 4.4 GHz | TBD | TBD | 16 MB | 35W | TBD |
| Intel Core i5-10600K | 6/12 | 4.1 GHz | 4.8 GHz | N/A | 4.5 GHz | 12 MB | 125W | TBD |
| Intel Core i5-10600KF | 6/12 | 4.1 GHz | 4.8 GHz | N/A | 4.5 GHz | 12 MB | 125W | |
| Intel Core i5-10600 | 6/12 | 3.3 GHz | 4.8 GHz | N/A | 4.4 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i5-10600T | 6/12 | 2.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz | N/A | TBD | 12 MB | 35W | TBD |
| Intel Core i5-10500 | 6/12 | 3.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz | N/A | 4.2 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i5-10500T | 6/12 | 2.3 GHz | 3.7 GHz | N/A | TBD | 12 MB | 35W | TBD |
| Intel Core i5-10400 | 6/12 | 2.9 GHz | 4.3 GHz | N/A | 4.0 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i5-10400F | 6/12 | 2.9 GHz | 4.3 GHz | N/A | 4.0 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | |
| Intel Core i3-10350K | 4/8 | TBD | TBD | N/A | TBD | 8 MB | 125W | TBD |
| Intel Core i3-10320 | 4/8 | 3.8 GHz | 4.6 GHz | N/A | 4.4 GHz | 8 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i3-10300 | 4/8 | 3.7 GHz | 4.4 GHz | N/A | 4.2 GHz | 8 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i3-10100 | 4/8 | 3.6 GHz | 4.3 GHz | N/A | 4.1 GHz | 8 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Core i3-10100T | 4/8 | 2.3 GHz | 3.6 GHz | N/A | TBD | 8 MB | 35W | TBD |
| Intel Pentium G6400 | 2/4 | 3.8 GHz | 3.8 GHz | N/A | TBD | 4 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Pentium G6400T | 2/4 | 3.2 GHz | 3.2 GHz | N/A | TBD | 4 MB | 35W | TBD |
| Intel Celeron G5900 | 2/2 | 3.2 GHz | 3.2 GHz | N/A | TBD | 2 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Intel Celeron G5900T | 2/2 | 3.0 GHz | 3.0 GHz | N/A | TBD | 2 MB | 35W | TBD |
LGA 1200 Chipset and Intel 400-Series Platform
Intel is moving to a new socket with the 400-series motherboards. These motherboards will release around May. The socket dimensions on the LGA 1200 is the same as LGA 1151 but the socket keying has shifted to the left side instead.
Comet Lake will not be compatible both electrically or mechanically with Coffee Lake motherboards. With these slight differences, 400-series boards will be able to support the existing heatsink fans. Some other details regarding the LGA 1200 are specified below:
- Comet Lake CPUs will transition to a higher pin-count package
- No backward compatibility with legacy platforms
- Same ILM dimensions and thermal solution retention.
- Improved power delivery and support for future incremental I/O features
- The Pin 1 orientation is unchanged but socket keying has shifted on the left side
LGA 1200 Intel 400-Series Chipset Family
| Chipset Name | Intel Z490 | Intel W480 | Intel Q470 | Intel H410 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total HSIO Lanes | 46 Lanes (16 CPU + 30 PCH) | 46 Lanes (16 CPU+ 30 PCH) | 46 Lanes (16 CPU+ 30 PCH) | 30 Lanes (16 CPU+ 14 PCH) |
| Total PCIe 3.0 Lanes (CPU + PCH) | Up To 40 (16 CPU + | Up To 40 (16 CPU + | Up To 40 (16 CPU + | 22(16 CPU + 6 PCIe 2.0) |
| Chipset PCIe 3.0 Lanes | Up To 24 | Up To 24 | Up To 24 | 6 (PCIe 2.0 Only) |
| SATA 3.0 Ports | Up To 8 | Up To 8 | Up To 6 | 4 |
| Maximum USB 3.2 Ports Gen 2 (10 Gb/s) / Gen 1 (5 Gb/s) | 8/10 | 8/10 | 6/10 | 0/4 |
| Tota USB Ports (Maximum USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gb/s)) | 14 (10) | 14 (10) | 14 (10) | 10 (4) |
| Intel RST Technology For PCIe 3.0 storage ports | 3 PCH | 3 PCH | 3 PCH | 0 |
| eSPI | 2 Chip Select | 2 Chip Select | 2 Chip Select | 1 Chip Select |
| Overclocking Support | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Processor PCIe Express 3.0 Lanes Configuration | 1×16 or 2×8 or 1×8 + 2×4 | 1×16 or 2×8 or 1×8 + 2×4 | 1×16 or 2×8 or 1×8 + 2×4 | 1×16 |
| Display Support (Ports / Pipes) | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/2 |
| DMI 3.0 Lanes | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 (DMI 2.0 Only) |
| System Memory Channels / DPC | 2/2 (DDR4-2666) | 2/2 (DDR4-2666) | 2/2 (DDR4-2666) | 2/1 (DDR4-2666) |
Intel UHD 620 Series Onboard Graphics
The 10 generation CPUs come with the Intel 620 UHD Graphics. This was present on the Kaby Lake architecture called HD 620. Apart from the additional alphabet ‘U’, there is a slight frequency difference as well. The Intel UHD 620 is clocked at 1.150MHz which is 100MHz higher than the Intel HD 620 (1.050MHz). This also lacks dedicated graphics memory and fulfills the lack of eDRAM by accessing the main memory (2x 64bit DDR3/DDR4).
On the performance side not much should be expected from the UHD 620. IT keeps up with the Nvidia GeForce 910M and 920M. Though it may still be capable of running casual games like Team Fortress 2 or Rocket league etc. Intel’s graphics line has only proven significance in the mobile segment.
Benchmark Tests: Intel Comet Lake Core i9 10900k vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
While many battles took place between Team Red and Team Blue this year, both titans clash once again. While Intel fell behind in the recent benchmark tests. This time the results were a bit surprising.
The newest benchmark scores that _Roagme dug up shows that the Core i9 10900K was able to score 28940 on the Fire Strike test. This came close to the AMD Ryzen 3900X which scored 30415. Both the setups were running on dual-channel 16GB RAM with 3200MHZ bus frequency.
This article may give users an overview of what the Comet Lake CPUs will come with as a whole package. While many are double-minded about the new lineup, it is clear that it still lacks in comparison to AMD. The Comet Lake does not feel very different than the older gen and upgrading to a new socket type makes it a mood killer.
Intel also has its Tiger Lake 11th Gen CPUs on its way later this year. This puts the Blue team in a very awkward scenario. The following is a price listing of the Intel Comet Lake processors:
| Model | Part Number | Base Clock (GHz) | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-10900K | CM8070104282844 | 3.7 | $562 |
| Core i9-10900KF | CM8070104282846 | 3.7 | $532 |
| Core i9-10900 | CM8070104282624 | 2.8 | $506 |
| Core i9-10900T | CM8070104282624 | 1.9 | $506 |
| Core i9-10900F | CM8070104282625 | 2.8 | $476 |
| Core i7-10700K | CM8070104282436 | 3.8 | $436 |
| Core i7-10700KF | CM8070104282437 | 3.8 | $405 |
| Core i7-10700 | CM8070104282327 | 2.9 | $376 |
| Core i7-10700T | CM8070104282215 | 2.0 | $376 |
| Core i7-10700F | CM8070104282329 | 2.9 | $346 |
| Core i5-10600K | CM8070104282134 | 4.1 | $296 |
| Core i5-10600KF | CM8070104282136 | 4.1 | $266 |
| Core i5-10600 | CM8070104290312 | 3.3 | $250 |
| Core i5-10600T | CM8070104290410 | 2.4 | $250 |
| Core i5-10500 | CM8070104290511 | 3.1 | $226 |
| Core i5-10500T | CM8070104290606 | 2.3 | $226 |
| Core i5-10400 | CM8070104290715 | 2.9 | $215 |
| Core i5-10400T | CM8070104290806 | 2.0 | $215 |
| Core i5-10400F | CM8070104290716 | 2.9 | $185 |
| Core i3-10320 | CM8070104291009 | 3.8 | $184 |
| Core i3-10300 | CM8070104291109 | 3.7 | $171 |
| Core i3-10300T | CM8070104291212 | 3.0 | $171 |
| Core i3-10100 | CM8070104291317 | 3.6 | $147 |
| Core i3-10100T | CM8070104291412 | 3.0 | $147 |
