Apple today unveiled the new Mac mini, supercharged by M2 and the all-new M2 Pro. With the M2 chip, Mac mini is even more powerful, capable, and affordable with a new starting price of just $599. The new M2 Pro chip delivers pro-level performance to Mac mini for the first time, enabling users to run high-performance workflows that were previously unimaginable in such a compact design. Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro delivers faster performance, even more unified memory, and advanced connectivity, including support for up to two displays on the M2 model, and up to three displays on the M2 Pro model. Paired with Studio Display and Magic accessories, along with the power and ease of macOS Ventura, Mac mini provides a phenomenal desktop experience that will take users' productivity and creativity to the next level. Customers can order the new Mac mini models today, with availability beginning Tuesday, January 24.

"With incredible capabilities and a wide array of connectivity in its compact design, Mac mini is used in so many places, in so many different ways. Today, we're excited to take it even further with M2 and M2 Pro," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Bringing even more performance and a lower starting price, Mac mini with M2 is a tremendous value. And for users who need powerful pro performance, Mac mini with M2 Pro is unlike any other desktop in its class."

Apple today announced the new iPad Pro with the M2 chip, delivering the ultimate combination of portability, versatility, and unbelievable performance. The new iPad Pro features a next-level Apple Pencil hover experience and superfast wireless connectivity, along with the world's most advanced mobile display, pro cameras, Face ID, Thunderbolt, and a four-speaker audio system. New features in iPadOS 16—including Stage Manager, full external display support, desktop-class apps, and Reference Mode—take pro workflows on iPad even further. Enabled by its advanced hardware and iPadOS 16, iPad Pro has an incredible ecosystem of powerful pro apps unlike any other device of its kind. The new iPad Pro is available to order starting today, and in stores beginning Wednesday, October 26.

"The next-generation iPad Pro pushes the boundaries of what's possible on iPad, bringing even more versatility, power, and portability to the ultimate iPad experience," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Powered by the M2 chip, the new iPad Pro features incredible performance and the most advanced technologies, including a next-level Apple Pencil hover experience, ProRes video capture, superfast wireless connectivity, and powerful iPadOS 16 features. There's nothing else like it."

Apple today announced M1 Pro and M1 Max, the next breakthrough chips for the Mac. Scaling up M1's transformational architecture, M1 Pro offers amazing performance with industry-leading power efficiency, while M1 Max takes these capabilities to new heights. The CPU in M1 Pro and M1 Max delivers up to 70 percent faster CPU performance than M1, so tasks like compiling projects in Xcode are faster than ever. The GPU in M1 Pro is up to 2x faster than M1, while M1 Max is up to an astonishing 4x faster than M1, allowing pro users to fly through the most demanding graphics workflows.

M1 Pro and M1 Max introduce a system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture to pro systems for the first time. The chips feature fast unified memory, industry-leading performance per watt, and incredible power efficiency, along with increased memory bandwidth and capacity. M1 Pro offers up to 200 GB/s of memory bandwidth with support for up to 32 GB of unified memory. M1 Max delivers up to 400 GB/s of memory bandwidth—2x that of M1 Pro and nearly 6x that of M1—and support for up to 64 GB of unified memory. And while the latest PC laptops top out at 16 GB of graphics memory, having this huge amount of memory enables graphics-intensive workflows previously unimaginable on a notebook. The efficient architecture of M1 Pro and M1 Max means they deliver the same level of performance whether MacBook Pro is plugged in or using the battery. M1 Pro and M1 Max also feature enhanced media engines with dedicated ProRes accelerators specifically for pro video processing. M1 Pro and M1 Max are by far the most powerful chips Apple has ever built.

According to Bloomberg, which first predicted the arrival of Apple custom processors in MacBooks, we have another piece of information regarding Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro lineup, set to arrive this summer. As you are aware, MacBook Pro right now comes in two different variants. The first is a smaller 13-inch design that is powered by Apple's M1 chip, while the second is a 16-inch design powered by an Intel Core processor. However, it seems like that will no longer be the case when the next-generation lineup arrives. Starting this summer, all of the MacBook Pro models will have Apple's custom silicon powering these devices, which bring Intel's presence to an end.

And the successor to the now-famous M1 chip seems to be very good. As per the report, Apple is upgrading the architecture and the total core count. There are two different chips, codenamed Jade C-Chop and Jade C-Die. Both are 10-core designs, equipped with two small and eight big cores. The difference between the two is the total number of graphics cores enabled. The smaller version will have 16 graphics cores, while the bigger one will have 32 graphics cores. On the SoC, there will be an updated Neural Engine, for better AI processing. These new processors will come with up to 64 GB of RAM in selected configurations as well. The report also notes the arrival of HDMI port, SD card slot, and MagSafe for charging.

Intel is reportedly giving finishing touches to the Core i9-10900KS Special Edition desktop processor. The SKU was leaked to the web in an "eligible products list" as part of a "Crysis Remastered" game bundle campaign. This would be the third in a string of special edition processor models from Intel, after the Core i7-8086K, and the Core i9-9900KS. The i9-10900KS could be a 10-core/20-thread processor based on the "Comet Lake-S" silicon, but with higher clock-speeds than the i9-10900K, possibly even a high all-core boost frequency. The timing of this launch is curious, as we're just 6-7 weeks from market availability of the 11th Gen Core "Rocket Lake-S" launch.

In related news, Intel is refreshing the bottom end of its 10th Gen Core "Comet Lake" lineup with the company's latest corporate identity and packaging. This is probably being done to cater to entry-level 400-series chipsets such as the H410 and B460, which will not support "Rocket Lake" processors. A Malaysian tech publication posted a picture of a refreshed Core i3-10105F 4-core/8-thread processor retail package. In all likelihood, the refreshed 10th Gen chips are speed-bumps.

Yuri "1usmus" Bubliy, author of DRAM Calculator for Ryzen and the upcoming ClockTuner for Ryzen, revealed three pieces of juicy details on the upcoming 4th Gen AMD Ryzen "Vermeer" performance desktop processors. He predicts AMD turning up CPU core counts with this generation, including the introduction of new 10-core SKUs, possibly to one-up Intel in the multi-threaded performance front. Last we heard, AMD's upcoming "Zen 3" CCDs (chiplets) feature 8 CPU cores sharing a monolithic 32 MB slab of L3 cache. This should, in theory, allow AMD to create 10-core chips with two CCDs, each with 5 cores enabled.

Next up, are two features that should interest overclockers - which is Bubliy's main domain. The processors should support a feature called "Curve Optimizer," enabling finer-grained control over the boost algorithm, and on a per-core basis. As we understand, the "curve" in question could even be voltage/frequency. It remains to be seen of the feature is leveraged at a CBS level (UEFI setup program), or by Ryzen Master. Lastly, there's mention of new Infinity Fabric dividers that apparently helps you raise DCT (memory controller) frequencies "slightly higher" in mixed mode. AMD is expected to debut its 4th Gen Ryzen "Vermeer" desktop processors within 2020.

Intel designed an Apple-exclusive Core i9-10910 10-core processor for its new-generation iMac, with an interesting set of specs. The chip has a base frequency of 3.60 GHz - much higher than the 2.90 GHz of the i9-10900 - but a lower max boost frequency of 5.00 GHz (against 5.20 GHz TVB max of the i9-10900). The TDP of the new chip is rumored to be higher, at 95 W, giving its boosting algorithm more breathing room. Leakbench, a twitter handle that tracks interesting submissions to the Geekbench online database, fished out one of the first Geekbench 5 submissions of the i9-10910.

The i9-10910 serves up 6.9% higher single-threaded performance than the i9-10900. It however, falls behind the i9-10900 in multi-threaded performance by 9.6%. These results as surprising. Normally, we'd expect the i9-10910 to have a lower single-threaded performance and higher multi-threaded performance. As its max boost frequency is lower, and the i9-10900 is able to run single-threaded workloads on its favored cores at frequencies of up to 5.20 GHz (as opposed to 5.00 GHz on the i9-10910). On the other hand, with a higher TDP (higher PL1), the i9-10910 has more power budget for its cores to sustain higher boost states, which should give it a slight edge over the i9-10900 in multi-threaded performance. The raison d'être of the i9-10910 appears to be in giving Apple a variation of the 10-core "Comet Lake" die that macOS can make the most of, as it probably lacks optimization for Turbo Boost Max 3.0 and Thermal Velocity Boost.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the new Z490 AORUS MASTER WATERFORCE motherboard will join the Z490 water cooling lineup with globally leading technology, which powers the world-only Liquid Cooler AIO 360 design to fulfill the temperature control of overclocking on the 10-core K series Intel Core processors. The 14-phase digital power design with each phase holding up to 90 amps unleash extreme performance and optimizes overclocking ability on the new processor. GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS motherboards use XTREME MEMORY technology with an anti-interference design to improve memory overclocking and stability. Z490 AORUS MASTER WATERFORCE offers innovations as top-of-the-line audio quality, and feature-rich I/O with an integrated I/O shield, and much more, checking all the boxes for users on system performance, power management, thermals, and audio.

The 10th generation of Intel Core processors has been in the market, enhanced by up to 10 cores, 20 threads, and 20 MB total caches, the performance boost with the default TDP ramping up to 125 Watts. The excess heat and TDP also boost especially when overclocking on all cores. Many users choose liquid cooling to effectively dissipate excess heat generated from high-speed operation, and further release the extreme overclocking performance of the processors. However users often hesitate since general AIO liquid cooling cannot cover VRM dissipation, and the monoblock for processor and VRM area of open liquid cooling is always difficult to purchase separately as well as raise the possibility to break the warranty. To provide users a convenient option without breaking the warranty, GIGABYTE released the Z490 AORUS MASTER WATERFORCE motherboard with a whole new design with AIO 360 liquid cooling which can dissipate the heat from the processors and VRM at the same time.

Intel today has officially launched their new Core i9-10850K CPU. The 10-core, 20-thread design slots in between the top of the line i9-10900K and the i9-10800K, and only features a small (100 MHz) clock reduction compared to the 10900K across all clocks (this means base, set at 3.6 GHz; Turbo Boost Max 2.0, reaching 5.0 GHz; Turbo Boost 3.0 going up to 5.1 GHz. Thermal Velocity Boost tech is also supported, which should allow for up to 5.2 GHz on a single core and a 4.8 GHz clock across all cores. The TDP remains the same as the 10900K at 125 W, with the same Tau and PL1/PL2 values as 10900K (56 sec, 125 W, and 250 W).

The new CPU improves on the value proposition of the 10900K by being available at around 10% less than Intel's top-of-the-line Comet Lake-S CPU, with pricing set at $453 (at 1K tray quantities). As Intel's manufacturing woes and 14 nm production output keep failing to meet demand, it's likely that the company will continue to fine-tune its product stack with as many CPUs as it can, in order to achieve higher ASP on each model than they would if they had to only count on manufacturing yields and/or manually disabling cores in chips that can't quite hit their advertised speeds for each CPU model. The Core i9-10850K retains compatibility with Intel's Z490, H470 and B460-based motherboards.

Intel's upcoming Core i9-10850K processor started appearing as a configurator option on Digital Storm pre-built gaming desktops. The 10-core/20-thread Socket LGA1200 processor comes with an unlocked multiplier, but is positioned between the $440 Core i9-10900 (locked) processor and the $499 i9-10900K flagship part. Intel differentiates the i9-10900K from the i9-10850K by stripping the latter of the Thermal Velocity Boost feature. The processor now has a maximum boost frequency of 5.20 GHz, and it gets there using the Turbo Boost Max 3.0 algorithm. The lack of TVB is attributable to the processor model numbering being i9-108xx rather than i9-109xx. Despite being locked parts, the i9-10900 and i9-10900F get TVB.

It's still not known if Intel will release the Core i9-10850K to the DIY retail channel, but the fact that it's surfacing on a pre-built vendor's site points to the possibility of the chip being OEM-exclusive, and even begins to explain its raison d'être. Thermal Velocity Boost is a cooling-sensitive feature, and hitting the advertised 5.30 GHz TVB frequency comes with steep cooling requirements for OEMs, which they probably could do with less of. The processor should still perform nearly on-par with the i9-10900K in most scenarios, including gaming. Our review of the i9-10900 shows how you could potentially save $60 over choosing the i9-10900K, if you didn't plan on serious overclocking for the latter. With Intel's pricing of the i9-10850K, we can deduce that Intel values Thermal Velocity Boost at $50 (i9-10850K vs. i9-10900K), and unlocked multiplier at $10 (i9-10900 vs. i9-10850K).

Intel is giving final touches to a mysterious Core i9-10850K processor that was unearthed from the Geekbench database by TUM_APISAK. This would be the second new 10-core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processor SKU discovered in the past week, since the Apple-exclusive i9-10910. The i9-10850K is fascinating, in that it features an unlocked multiplier, 100 MHz lower nominal clocks than the i9-10900K, at 3.60 GHz, the same 5.20 GHz Turbo Boost Max 3.0 frequency; but an unknown Thermal Velocity Boost frequency.

It wouldn't surprise us if the processor lacked TVB altogether. It's likely that the i9-10850K is an OEM-exclusive targeted at pre-built designers that don't want to deal with the steep cooling requirements of the i9-10900K to give end-users visible boosting to its TVB Max frequencies of 5.30 GHz. The i9-10850K offers nearly identical Geekbench performance to the i9-10900K.

Intel is readying an Apple-exclusive Core i9-10910 desktop processor which will feature in an upcoming, unannounced iMac / iMac Pro product, according to a spot by _rogame. The i9-10910 sits between the i9-10900 and the unlocked i9-10900K that's available in the retail market. It has an interesting set of clock speeds. Its nominal clock speeds is significantly higher than the i9-10900, at 3.60 GHz, compared to 2.90 GHz of the i9-10900; however, its max Turbo Boost frequency is lower, at 4.70 GHz, according to Tom's Hardware, compared to 5.00 GHz on the i9-10900. Perhaps 4.70 GHz is the all-core TVB max frequency, a 100 MHz increase over the 4.60 GHz of the i9-10900. Also, its TDP is rated at 95 W (for a locked chip), higher than the 65 W of the i9-10900, but lower than the 125 W of the i9-10900K.

The i9-10910 is a 10-core/20-thread processor, just like the i9-10900, and features 20 MB of shared L3 cache, along with a Gen 9.5 UHD 630 integrated graphics. In related news, the unreleased iMac that was used in this Geekbench run also sports a Radeon RX 5300 discrete graphics solution, featuring 20 RDNA compute units (compared to 24 on the Radeon Pro 5500M), amounting to 1,280 stream processors; up to 1.65 GHz engine clocks, and 4 GB of an unknown memory type. It will be interesting to see if the i9-10910 remains Apple-exclusive after the Ryzen 9 3900XT launches next week.

A stock Intel Core i9-10900K 10-core processor was subjected to FPU stress by Chinese PC enthusiast @WolStame. The power and temperature values of the processor are inside HEDT territory. With a Furmark GPU stress running on the side, under AIDA64 FPU stress, the i9-10900K measured a package power draw of up to 235.17 W, as measured using HWInfo64. The CPU package temperature shot up to 93 °C. A 240 mm AIO liquid CPU cooling solution was used in the feat. Interestingly, the processor is able to sustain clock speeds of 4.77 GHz, which is close to the advertised 4.80 GHz all-core turbo boost frequency, called for by the multi-core FPU stress.

To show that the values weren't obtained in a few seconds of test, the AIDA64 Stability Test window keeps a timestamp log and displays time elapsed into the stress. In this particular case, the all-core stress has been running for close to 48 minutes; and yet the processor is keeping up with its advertised all-core boost speed, making this an impressive feat.

Even as review embargoes remain on Intel's latest 10th Gen CPUs, benchmark scores that show what these 14 nm CPUS are capable of are already flooding the web. Case in point: a Cinebench 15 benchmark of Intel's unlocked Core i9-10900K running at an overclocked 5.4 GHz on all cores @ 1.35 V core. The 10-core CPU features a base clockspeed set at 3.7 GHz, so we're looking at a frequency increase of around 46%.

At those speeds, tested on an ASRock Phantom Gaming 4/AX motherboard and 16 GB of G.Skill DDR4-3200 MHz CL14 memory, the Intel Core i9-10900K managed to post a 3002 multi-core score. When at stock, it achieved a relatively paltry 2347 points. An AMD Ryzen 7 3800X CPU (8-core, 16-thread) typically scores around 2200 points, and an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU (12-core, 24-thread) achieves a 3200 score. They do so at stock frequencies, though; and the Intel Core i9-10900K is sandwiched in-between those when it comes to core-count, but not on price: 10 Intel cores will set you back $488.00, while AMD's 8-core launched at $399 (and is now cheaper) and AMD's 12-core CPU launched for $499. Adding to the benchmarking caveat, the operating temperatures for this particular Core i9-10900K show 0º min and 69º max, so assuming the temperature report is correct, it's fair to say an air cooler wasn't used for this overclocking feat.

Intel is bringing its Xeon W brand extension of processors meant for workstations, to the LGA1200 socket. The Xeon W brand were typically associated with enterprise variants of HEDT platforms, with those of mainstream desktop sockets reserved for the Xeon E brand. At least 7 SKUs are in the works, beginning with the Xeon W-1290P, W-1290, and W-1290T, which are 10-core/20-thread parts based on the "Comet Lake" silicon, with TDP ratings of 125 W, 65 W, and 35 W, respectively; and nominal clock speeds of 3.70 GHz, 3.20 GHz, and 1.90 GHz, respectively.

The Xeon W-1270P and W-1270 are 8-core/16-thread parts, likely with 125 W, and 65 W TDP ratings, respectively, and clock speeds of 3.80 GHz and 3.40 GHz, respectively. Lastly, there are the 6-core/12-thread Xeon W-1260P and W-1260, clocked at 4.10 GHz and 3.60 GHz, respectively. It's likely that the processors are either compatible with the W480/W480E chipsets, or have a C-series enterprise chipset with a similar feature-set to it. The W-1290P is priced at $620.62, the W-1290 at $568.91, the W-1290T at $568.80; the W-1270P at $492.57, the W-1270 at $416.21; the W-1260P at $358.41, and the W-1260 at $293.12. All prices are per-unit in 1,000-unit tray quantities.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its latest flagship motherboard, the Z490 AQUA to the delight of gamers and power hungry users alike. And to highlight our launch we are limiting the Z490 AQUA to only 999 units making it extremely valuable. Using the latest 16 Phase 90 A Dr.MOS & 2 oz copper PCBs, it delivers up to 95% VRM efficiency. To keep VRM's and 10-core processors cool even during sustained heavy loads or even overclocking, the Z490 AQUA features an advanced water cooling system that decreases heat on the CPU VRMs to reduce VRM temps dramatically.

Decked in a matte black undershell, the Z490 complements what young gamers want in a machine these days, simple, refined edges encased with a metallic armor which highlights the vibrant, techno LED lighting which screams I'm a water cooling aficionado and a PC mod enthusiast. "Be Aqua, Be Cool" highlights ASRock's determination to be the frontrunner in water-cooled gaming motherboard manufacturers and the PCIe 4.0 ready means it's prepped and the hardware is ready with PCI-Express Gen-4 support. By uniquely adding an external base clock generator, PCIe 4.0 components such as extra slots and an M.2 socket we're assured the motherboard is ready to accommodate the next generation of CPUs.

ASUS today rolled out its latest ROG Strix GT35 pre-built gaming desktop, powered by 10th generation Intel Core desktop processors. The top variant of this desktop is powered by an Intel Core i9-10900KF processor, paired with 64 GB of high frequency DDR4 memory, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics, an ASUS ROG Strix Z490-series motherboard, and a 240 mm x 120 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler taming the 10-core beast. Storage is care of a 1 TB NVMe SSD and a 2 TB SATA HDD. The desktop otherwise features the same chassis and connectivity options as the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X-powered ROG Strix GA35 desktop from March, which include Wi-Fi 6 and 2.5 GbE support. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Schenker today announced the release of their XMG Ultra laptops, which have been purpose/built as desktop alternatives. This means there are no limitations on hardware, and that portability or battery life aren't crucial factors - power is. To that effect, the XMG Ultra launches with a Z490/based motherboard and support for up to a ten-core Intel Core i9-10900K (the Core i7-10700K, with 8 cores, and the Core i7-10600K, with six cores, are also available). You can pair these CPUs with NVIDIA's RTX 2060 SUPER, 2070 SUPER, or 2080 SUPER for close to ultimate performance when it comes to available hardware. You can configure your XMG Ultra with up to 128 GB of system RAM.

Monitor options include a 17,3" 1080p 240 Hz, G-Sync panel, or an Ultra HD G-Sync panel with the same diagonal. The XMG Ultra's call to fame is that it is the first announced laptop with a 10-core Intel solution. And, since you'd be hard pressed to find an AMD offering that packs a comparable CPU with these very same graphics solutions (since OEMs, for some reason, have maxed out AMD CPU + NVIDIA GPU combos with up an RTX 2070 non-SUPER graphics card), this may be your best bet at getting a decent CPU paired with maximum mobile GPU power. Bear in mind that a pretty standard configuration will, however, set you back some €2,799.

Intel today launched its 10th generation Core desktop processor family and its companion Intel 400-series chipsets. Based on the 14 nm++ silicon fabrication process and built in the new LGA1200 package, the processors are based on the "Comet Lake" microarchitecture. The core design of "Comet Lake" and its IPC are identical to those of "Skylake," however Intel brought significant enhancements to the processor's clock-speed boosting algorithm, increased core- or thread counts across the board, and introduced new features that could interest enthusiasts and overclockers. The uncore component remains largely unchanged from the previous-generation, with support for DDR4 memory and PCI-Express gen 3.0. Use of these processors requires a new socket LGA1200 motherboard, they won't work on older LGA1151 motherboards. You can install any LGA115x-compatible cooler on LGA1200, provided it meets the thermal requirements of the processor you're using.

At the heart of the 10th generation Core processor family is a new 10-core monolithic processor die, which retains the same basic structure as the previous-generation 8-core "Coffee Lake Refresh" die, and 4-core "Skylake." The cores are arranged in two rows, sandwiched by the processor's uncore and iGPU blocks. A ring-bus interconnect binds the various components. The cache hierarchy is unchanged from previous generations as well, with 32 KB each of L1I and L1D caches; 256 KB of dedicated L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The iGPU is the same Gen 9.5 based UHD 630 graphics. As we mentioned earlier, much of Intel's innovation for the 10th generation is with the processor's microcode (boosting algorithms).

Ahead of its launch, tech publication HD Tecnologia posted the press-deck of Intel's 10th generation Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processor series, as its launch is imminent (30th April, according to the slides). Right upfront, we see Intel's new retail packaging for the flagship Core i9 parts. Gone is the large acrylic dodecahedron, and in its place is a conventional paperboard-looking cuboidal box with a large triangular cutout window (probably made of LDPE) on the front face, which reveals the processor inside.

The next slide reveals all that's new with the 10th generation Core processor family, starting with clock speeds of up to 5.30 GHz, the desktop debut of Intel's Thermal Velocity Boost technology, HyperThreading being enabled across the board (Core i9 thru Core i3), native support for DDR4-2933, new CPU- and memory-overclocking features, and new platform I/O through the 400-series chipset. Next up, we see overclocker-relevant new features. Apparently, these processors allow you to toggle HyperThreading on a per-core basis. Until now, you could toggle HTT only across all cores. Next up, is "overclocking" for the PCI-Express x16 link (PEG) and DMI chipset bus. There are improved V/F curve controls with this generation. Intel is preparing to announce updated XTU and Performance Maximizer utilities. There are some packaging-level refinements, too, such as a physically thinner die (Z-height), making way for a thicker IHS. The internal TIM is still solder. We now move on to the actual SKUs.

As if reports of Intel's latest mobile flagship Core i9-10980HK pulling up to 135 W power in short bursts to achieve its 5.30 GHz Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) frequency weren't bad enough, it appears like the 10th generation Core desktop processors won't win Intel any prizes in the energy efficiency contests. According to tech Tweeter "@9550Pro," citing Chinese enthusiast @Wolstame, with a reasonably high hit-rate with tech rumors, Intel's upcoming Core i9-10900F processor can pull up to 224 Watts of power. The i9-10900F isn't even an unlocked chip like i9-10900K, but rather an iGPU-disabled version of the locked i9-10900.

The i9-10900F 10-core/20-thread processor allegedly has its PL1 value set at 170 W, and PL2 at 224 W. The latter is probably needed to give the chip's TVB algorithm power headroom to achieve either the chip's 5.30 GHz TVB max frequency, or its maximum all-core boost frequency of 4.50 GHz. The latter could be Intel's strategy to take on AMD's Ryzen 9 3900X and 3950X in multi-threaded benchmarks (run 10 cores at 4.50 GHz). Intel is possibly looking to price the i9-10900 series (i9-10900F, i9-10900, i9-10900KF, and i9-10900K) at price-points ranging between $450-500, if not more. With these power-draw figures, it's all but certain that Intel could recommend serious cooling solutions for the i9-10900 series, at least a 240 mm x 120 mm AIO. AMD recommends a 280 mm x 140 mm AIO for the 16-core 3950X.

Marketing materials of Intel's upcoming 10th generation Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processors leaked to the web confirm the lineup's core-counts. The series will be led by 10-core/20-thread Core i9 processors, with Thermal Velocity Boost frequencies of up to 5.30 GHz. The Core i7 series will consist of 8-core/16-thread processors, with up to 5.10 GHz TVB frequencies. The Core i5 series gets its biggest shot in the arm, with the introduction of HyperThreading for the first time in 8 generations (the last Core i5 desktop processors with HTT were dual-core first-generation Core chips). The 10th gen Core i5 series chips are 6-core/12-thread, with clock-speeds running up to 4.80 GHz.

These frequencies should indicate two interesting things. One, that the Core i5-10600K will outperform the Core i7-8700K (6-core/12-thread, up to 4.70 GHz boost), resulting in a roughly 35% increase in price-performance vs. the i7-8700K, if it ends up being priced at $260. Two, that the Core i7-10700K will outperform the Core i9-9900K on virtue of 100 MHz higher frequencies, and give the segment a roughly 30% price-performance increase compared to the i9-9900K, if the i7-10700K ends up priced at $380. The Core i9-10900K will outperform the i9-9900K both in single- and multi-threaded fronts given its 300 MHz higher max boost and two extra cores (four extra threads), in what could be a roughly 25% price-performance gain, assuming an unchanged $500 price.

Alleged pictures of the upcoming Intel Core i9-10900K and i7-10700K processors made it to Chinese social media. The blurry-cam pictures of the chips' topside don't reveal much other than the "Intel Confidential" markings, denoting that these chips are engineering samples. The reverse side confirm that these are chips are built in the new LGA1200 package. You can also spot electrical ancillaries laid out unlike any previous-gen Intel package, and different socket key notches.

In the run up to the rumored April 2020 launch we could learn more about these chips. Based on the 14 nm "Comet Lake" silicon, Intel's 10th generation Core desktop processors in the LGA1200 package increase logical processor counts across the board, and increase clock speeds. The i9-10900K is a 10-core/20-thread processor with 20 MB of shared L3 cache, and up to 5.10 GHz boost frequency, with 4.80 GHz all-core boost. The i7-10700K, on the other hand, is an 8-core/16-thread chip with 16 MB L3 cache, and clock speeds of 5.00 GHz boost and 4.50 GHz all-core Turbo. The Core i5 series also gets a shot in the arm, being configured as 6-core/12-thread, with 12 MB of L3 cache. The per-core performance (IPC) is expected to be the same as 6th generation "Skylake."

Ahead of their rumored April 2020 availability product codes of Intel's upcoming 10th generation Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processors leaked to the web, courtesy momomo_us. The lineup includes 22 individual SKUs, although it's unknown if all of these will be available in April. There are four 10-core/20-thread SKUs: the i9-10900K, the i9-10900KF, the i9-10900, and the i9-10900F. The "K" extension denotes unlocked multiplier, while the "F" extension indicates lack of integrated graphics. "KF" indicates a SKU that's both unlocked and lacking an iGPU. Similarly, there are four 8-core/16-thread Core i7 SKUs, the i7-10700K, the i7-10700KF, the i7-10700, and the i7-10700F.

The 6-core/12-thread Core i5 family has several SKUs besides the range-topping i5-10600K and its siblings, i5-10600KF and i5-10600. These include the i5-10500, i5-10400, and i5-10400F. The quad-core Core i3 lineup includes the i3-10320, i3-10300, and i3-10100. The former two have 8 MB L3 cache, while the i3-10100 has 6 MB. Among the entry-level Pentium SKUs are the G6600, G6500, G6400, G5920, and G5900.

Intel's desktop Comet Lake-S lineup is close to being released and we are getting more leaks about the CPU models contained inside it. Perhaps one of the most interesting points for Comet Lake-S series is that it brings a boost in frequency and boost in core count, with the highest-end Core i9 processors going up to 10 cores. Thanks to Xfastest, a Hong Kong-based media outlet, we have first pictures of what appears to be an engineering sample of the upcoming Core i9-10900 processor.

Being a non-K version, this CPU is not capable of overclocking and has a fixed TDP rating of 65 Watts. Compared to 125 W of the K models like the upcoming Core i9-10900K, this CPU will output almost half the heat, thus requiring a less capable cooling solution. The CPU is installed in LGA1200 socket, which is a new home for Comet Lake-S CPUs and provides backward compatibility for coolers supporting LGA1151. In the sample processor pictured below, we can see a marking on the CPU that implies 2.5 GHz base clock. Previously rumors were suggesting that this CPU version has 2.8 GHz base clock, however, it can be an early engineering sample given that no official imprints are found on the CPU heat spreader.