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The first performance numbers have surfaced from Intel’s upcoming Intel Core i9-10900K 10-Core 3.7GHz (quite the mouthful), the flagship processor from the 10th Gen Comet Lake family of CPUs.
Intel itself has directly compared the Intel Core i9-10900K with the current gen Intel Core i9-9900K across a range of synthetic benchmarks. The i9-10900K offers performance which is from 2 to 30% faster than a 9900K, depending on the benchmark.
The headline from Intel, of course, is the Core i9-10900K “is expected to deliver up to 1.3x the CPU performance of Intel Core i9-9900K”. This is very specifically related to the SPECint_rate_base2006 IC16.0 test though, and is not indicative of an overall performance gain of 30%. In fact, of the nine benchmark tests performed, six of them showcase performance gains of 10% or less. This is by no means a dramatic generational shift; evolution rather than revolution.
Specs-wise, the Intel Core i9-10900K ups the ante with a couple of extra cores, offering 10C/20T versus the 8C/16T found on the Intel Core i9-9900K. It boasts a 4.8 GHz all-core boost, 5.3 GHz single core boost, and a base frequency of 3.7 GHz. Power usage takes a hike because of this though. The 14nm Core i9-10900K has a TDP of 125W, versus 95W for the i9-9900K. All-Core Turbo will require a hefty 250W, as compared to 210W for the 9900K. As a result, sustained high clock speeds will require fairly significant cooling solutions.
Intel’s x900K chips have are the business for gaming performance and we don’t expect the Core i9-9900K to be any different on this front. Pricing is obviously key, which we’d expect to be around $450-500 but, for those already sporting an i9-9900K are hardly standing to benefit to any great degree from an upgrade. On the basis of these initial tests it’s yet another fast 14nm chip from Intel, although we’re still waiting on that goliath leap forward in terms of price to performance that may come with a smaller fabrication process.
The Core i9-10900K is expected to be officially unveiled shortly with a launch in Q1 2020. Keep an eye on CES 2020 which begins on January 7th, a likely date to find out Intel’s upcoming roster.