Intel Core i5-10600K, 6C/12T, 4.10-4.80GHz, tray

10 Kerne brauchen viel Energie! Nachdem Intel Ende April die neuen Comet Lake-S Prozessoren sowie deren neue Chipsätze vorgestellt haben, hatten wir nun vorab die Gelegenheit das Topmodell, den Intel Core i9-10900K sowie den Intel Core i5-10600K auf Herz und Nieren zu prüfen. Den Titel schnellste Gaming-CPU behält Intel, allerdings zu einem sehr hohen Preis.

Heute ist es soweit und wir dürfen die ersten Leistungsdaten des Core i5-10600K und des Core i9-10900K präsentieren. Damit öffnet Intel seine Comet-Lake-Prozessoren für den Markt, denn ab heute sind die ersten Modelle im Handel verfügbar. Die Kernkompetenzen der neuen Prozessoren liegen vor allem beim Spitzenmodell Core i9-10900K in den bis zu zehn Kernen, die vereinzelt einen Takt von 5,3 GHz erreichen sollen. Der Core i5-10600K deckt eher das Brot-und-Butter-Geschäft für Intels neue Serie ab.

Die Intel Core i9-10900K und Core i5-10600K Prozessoren haben es in die heiligen PCGH-Hallen geschafft. Was leisten die 14-nm-Vertreter im Gaming-Alltag und reicht es für die Leistungskrone? Ist die Leistungsaufnahme so hoch wie vermutet und am wichtigsten: Wie schlägt sich Comet Lake-S gegenüber AMD Zen 2? Wir haben den Zehn- und Sechs-Kerner durch den Test-Parcours gejagt, mit überraschenden Ergebnissen.

Intels 10. Generation Core-CPUs für PCs alias Comet Lake-S ist da. Auch diese CPUs setzen noch auf 14 nm. Dem Core i9-10900K ist das im Test deutlich anzumerken. Er verbraucht viel und wird nur dann richtig schnell, wenn Limits ignoriert werden. Der Core i5-10600K erweist sich hingegen als Neuauflage des Core i7-8700K.

Intel released a wide number of 10th Gen Core chips for the desktop market last month. Built using the Comet Lake architecture whose provenance lies with 2015's Skylake generation, the chip giant continues to invest in 14nm process technology when rival AMD has been on space- and power-saving 7nm for over a year.

Wrapping this review up, we find the i5-10600K more interesting than the i9-10900K -- at least in some aspects. The i9-10900K is more or less a drop-in i9-9900K replacement that doesn’t move the positioning a whole lot: It’s another “technical best” for gaming, and more competitive than before, but it’s lower in the stack where Intel was struggling. The 10600K is meant to address that. The i9-10900K scores wins where its raw frequency performance isn't limited by the GPU. In terms of production, we’re still looking at the R9 3900X as the better choice, especially as it’s cheaper.

Intel has been under tremendous pressure from AMD in the mid-range segment (around $200–$300). With Zen 2, team red introduced several offerings in this price range, many just $20 apart. All these parts are six-core with twelve threads, the Ryzen 7 3700X is even 8-core, 16-thread. To achieve any sort of competitiveness, Intel had to rethink their policy of reserving HyperThreading to their top SKUs only. This is why, unlike all its predecessors, the Core i5-10600K in this review is a 6c/12t model which had HTT disabled. Intel also pushed the TDP rating from 95 W to 125 W, which created headroom for running higher clock speeds. Last but not least, the full L3 cache is available now, 12 MB instead of 9 MB, to make up lost ground against the 32 MB cache AMD is offering on Ryzen.

The Intel Core i5-10600k retains it’s six-cores from the previous generation and also adds Hyperthreading giving the CPU a total of 12 threads. The i5-10600k gets a small boost in clock speed as well. Yet, much of the CPU remains the same as the previous generation. Like I said in the i9-10900k review, Intel is using a core design derived from Skylake which was launched in 2015.

Processor conclusions are never easy to write up as there are many factors involved as well as multiple pros and cons for each side and brand. Intel certainly gains the most out of the 14nm fabrication node compared to AMD. At 14nm they are able to reach 5.3 GHz (under strict conditions like PL2 and thermals). This brings Intel good peak performance which shows in gaming performance as well as boosting multi-threaded performance. The flip-side of that coin is that once the processor returns to its original PL1 state, that threading performance becomes less good. It is one of the reasons that we recently moved towards test suite software that sometimes runs 10 to 15 minute tests, as that paints a more accurate picture.

I think the real story of the Core i5-10600K or just the 10th generation Core i5 series in general is that Intel has enabled HyperThreading. So now instead of getting a 6-core, 6-thread part you are getting a 6-core, 12-thread part. Intel’s decision to make this change might have been prompted by AMD, but whatever the case may be this upgrade is definitely going to bolster the performance of the Core i5 line.

We've often mentioned how quickly the CPU designs advance, and the old Moore's Law that anyone with even a modicum of interest in hardware will know is still in full effect. For a long time, the main difference between Core i5 and Core i7 processors was hyperthreading. Typically, the Core i5 has been the model that gamers preferred for cost reasons, while those with more rounded computer usage tended towards the Core i7 and the benefits that hyperthreading brought to the table. Equally, a 5 GHz CPU was the stuff of LN2 overclocking until surprisingly recently. The 10th generation of Intel CPUs brings hyperthreading to the six (!) cores of the Core i5 while the Core i9-10900K makes a mockery of the 5 GHz barrier by comfortably smashing past it.

After two long years, Intel's 10th-generation Comet Lake processors have arrived. These are the first desktop CPUs that Team Blue has released since AMD's immensely popular third-gen Ryzen chips launched in 2019 - and it's clear to see that Intel isn't taking this unprecedented threat lightly. There are spec bumps and new features across the entire Core lineup, plus a new Z490 motherboard platform, making this one of the most interesting Intel launches in recent memory.

Bottom line: The Core i9-10900K is sure to fire the interest of the ardent gamer and content creator, though given what's on offer from AMD Ryzen, it's not the great leap forward that 10th Gen branding deserves.

The Intel 10th Gen CPUs are finally here, and they seem to have been one of the worst kept secrets in recent memory for tech launches. However, while we’ve read into the rumours and actually written about a fair few of them, it seems things aren’t quite what we expected. Early reports hinted at huge power requirements, enormous temperatures and other issues, so we were ready for a bit of a hell-ride with this testing cycle. However, I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised with how things actually pan out.