Architecture update and new LGA 1200 socket

Long before the announcement, it was clear that, as in previous times, Intel would not come up with anything radically new. Unlike AMD, the "blues" will not master the new process in any way and hopes for the same 14 nm architecture, which has not let them down since 2015. Yes, it continues to improve and develop, but this is not a serious leap-like development, but such a very unhurried evolution that a snail will overtake. With the ninth generation, the trick worked, because Intel clearly understood where its weaknesses were, so it dropped the cores to the younger Core i3 and dropped the prices for Core i5.


There are two main changes in Comet Lake-S: a new LGA 1200 socket and flagship models with 10 cores. A new socket every two years has long been an Internet meme. This time Intel was told that it was needed for the next generation of Rocket Lake, and Comet Lake-S would be opening up, so to speak. At this point, the question from the audience is heard — where is the logic? Why not leave the old process on the old socket, and switch to the new one when it makes sense? Look for the answer in the main hit of Naughty By Nature, "Here Comes The Money". At least the LGA 1200 mount is the same as the LGA 1151 v2, so you can leave the old cooler.

As for the new sockets, 3 pieces were shown: the flagship Z490, the optimal B460 and the low-cost H410. We expect that 3 more variations will appear soon, as it was with Coffee Lake Refresh and before it.

10th generation Intel processors (Comet Lake)

So what has improved?

It would seem that after the last paragraph, fans of the brand can cry, but in fact, not everything is so bad. Firstly, all processors, except the youngest Celeron, have received multithreading support. And this is a weighty argument in the fight against AMD, which had almost the youngest Ryzen processors multithreaded. From this, the performance of some "tens" in comparison with the identical Intel Core of the ninth generation will significantly increase.

The operating frequencies of x86 cores have increased, so that top models can accelerate to 5.3 GHz. However, there is not much sense in this, since such a frequency will be available only for one of the most high-performance cores in the Thermal Velocity Boost dynamic overclocking mode.

The thickness of the CPU crystal has decreased, and the cover, on the contrary, has become a little thicker, which should increase the efficiency of the heat sink. And all Intel Core Comet Lake-S models now support RAM with a clock frequency of 2933 MHz. Another detail worth noting is the support of the Intel Ethernet Connection I225 controller, which provides speeds up to 2.5 Gbps, as well as support for Wi-Fi 6 AX201. But Intel didn't say anything about the new PCI-E bus of the fourth generation.

Laptops with Intel Comet Lake processor (10th generation)

Which processors will be included in the Comet Lake-S line and how much will they cost?

Intel has actually introduced 32 new processors, but some of them are variations of the same chip. Models with the index "K" denote an unlocked multiplier, "F" — models without a built—in video core, and "KF" — a mix of both options, i.e. an unlocked multiplier minus a video core. In addition to them, "economical" processors with the index "T" were separately shown, which means a heat package reduced to 35 watts.

Heads the line of "the fastest gaming processor" according to Intel — Intel Core i9 Comet Lake i9-10900K OEM with an unlocked multiplier, ten physical cores, a turbo boost up to 5.1 GHz and 20 MB of L3 cache. At the other end are the junior Core i3 with a price tag of $122. For the most economical, Intel has updated the Celeron and Pentium families. These chips can be purchased for between $42 and $86.

As you can see from the tables, prices remained approximately at the level of last year (you can see them in the table above), but the choice has increased. Here thanks to the models without a built-in GPU, which are on average $ 22 cheaper than their counterparts with a video core.


Sales will begin with flagship processors Core i9, Core i7 and Core i5 with a free multiplier. And closer to the end of May, the rest will catch up. Then we'll see how much the prices in the stores match the figures on these slides.

How much faster has the tenth generation become?

Until the processors arrive in stores, Intel has traditionally banned journalists from posting reviews ahead of time. Therefore, information about tests in benchmarks had to be collected bit by bit and it does not always deserve 100% trust. Nevertheless, it is interesting to look at the numbers.

Core i9-10900K provides 13-18% more performance in Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Premier Pro CC compared to Core i9–9900K, but this is quite expected, given the two additional cores.

The same can be said if you look at the other end of the list. The younger Core i3 1010F has 4 virtual cores compared to the Core i3-9100 and can accelerate up to 4.3 GHz. This is a serious increase in power and it impresses much more than the additional 100 – 200 MHz that the ninth generation received.

But if you compare with the breakthrough Ryzen, the results are still not impressive. For example, the Ryzen 3 3100 in the 3DMark benchmark turns out to be 10-15% faster than the Core i3-10100. And this despite the fact that both processors are actually twin brothers (4 cores each, multithreading, TDP 65 watts), but the Core i3 has slightly higher turbo-boost frequencies (4.3 GHz vs. 3.9 GHz for Ryzen 3). In addition to more power, the Ryzen 3 3100 is also cheaper by $20.

The situation is similar in the middle segment, where the Core i5-10400 hardly competes with the cheaper Ryzen 5 3600. Although, at a price it is closer to the older 3600X. But if we compare with previous generations, the results are impressive: in most synthetic and gaming tests, the Core i5-10400 turns out to be closer to the eight-core Core i7-9700 than to its predecessor.

However, here you need to wait for more detailed and thorough tests. The information available now is crumbs.

What conclusion can be drawn?

As AI Solomon from Westworld said, "any human relationship can be regulated with the help of money." This phrase can also be used in relation to processors: yesterday, the "stone", which was prohibitively expensive, today fell by a conditional $ 40 and immediately became a hit of sales. In the case of Intel, the price will be the deciding factor, since the company has been openly losing the mass market lately. For example, one of the largest German online stores Mindfactory reported that in April 2020, sales of Intel processors in April decreased to 9% of the total volume. The remaining 91% is occupied by AMD chips. And if Intel continues to sell outdated processors at an inflated price, and in parallel to pair new sockets, in a couple of years everyone will be sitting on more powerful and at the same time cheaper Ryzen. And without healthy competition, we as buyers will only lose. Therefore, we hope for a small miracle that in reality the chips will turn out to be really powerful, and the prices in stores will be adequate. In the meantime, we are waiting for the end of May and the opportunity to test new products on our own. Then it will be possible to draw global conclusions and, if anything, start saving money.