From PC Mag: After delaying its 7nm processors until 2022 and subsequently shaking up its chip team, Intel has decided to release a new 10th-generation Core i9 Comet Lake desktop processor.
As Anandtech reports, the Core i9-10850K is a rather unusual processor for Intel to launch because it's only 100MHz slower than the high-end Core i9-10900K, while being $35 cheaper. You're still getting an unlocked 125W TDP processor with 10 cores, 20 threads, and Intel's UHD 630 integrated GPU, but the chip runs at 3.6GHz instead of the 3.7GHz of the 10900K. All the turbo clocks are only down by 100MHz, too.
"On paper" calculations suggest the 10850K will produce 97 percent of the performance of the 10900K, which I'd happily take if it meant I got an extra $35 to put towards other components in a desktop PC build. It's unclear exactly why Intel decided to release this new chip, but the most likely explanation is the company has a growing number of chips that don't quite achieve the 3.7GHz speed and 5.2GHz Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) promised with the purchase of a 10900K. Rather than being unable to sell the chips, the 10850K appears with a slightly lower price.
Intel is expected to offer the 10850K in both OEM and retail form. The $453 price tag is Intel's bulk pricing, so it will be slightly different at retail, but still cheaper than the $550 10900K. And with the coronavirus pandemic having an impact on component supplies, if you're in the market for a 10900K, but discover stock of the 10850K instead, I say grab it with both hands knowing you're taking a minimal performance hit while saving some cash.
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