The Intel Core i9-10850K, which was speculated to be a CPU only available to Intel's OEM partners only, ended up making its way to a U.S. retailer today. Newegg recently put up the deca-core processor for $499.99 .
Intel's Core i9-10850K is the 10th Generation Comet Lake-S family's newest member. As such, the processor is still based on the 14nm process node and lives on the new LGA1200 platform, just like any other Comet Lake-S CPU . The flagship Core i9-10900K is the closet relative to the Core i9-10850K, since both processors are manufactured with similar ingredients. They each feature 10 CPU cores , 20 threads and up to 20MB of L3 cache.
In order to avoid cannibalization, Intel gave the Core i9-10850K lower clock speeds . It's likely that the chipmaker is recycling sub-par Core i9-10900K dies to make the Core i9-10850K, which would be a smart way to maximize profits.
Intel Core i9-10850K Specifications
| Processor | Cores / Threads | Base Clock (GHz) | TBMT 3.0 Clock (GHz) | TVB Clock (GHz) | L3 Cache (MB) | Graphics | TDP (W) | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-10900K | 10 / 20 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 20 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 125 | $488 - $499 |
| Core i9-10900KF | 10 / 20 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 20 | N/A | 125 | $463 - $474 |
| Core i9-10850K | 10 / 20 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 20 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 125 | $453 - $464 |
| Core i9-10900 | 10 / 20 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 20 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 65 | $439 - $449 |
| Core i9-10900F | 10 / 20 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 20 | N/A | 65 | $422 - $423 |
| Core i9-10900T | 10 / 20 | 1.9 | 4.6 | N/A | 20 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 35 | $439 |
The main difference between the Core i9-10900K and Core i9-10850K comes down to 100 MHz across the base, Turbo Boost 3.0 and Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) clocks. The lower clock speeds aren't enough to warrant a TDP (thermal design power) decrease, however, as the Core i9-10850K is still rated for 125W. You can drop the Core i9-10850K down to 95W, but that means you'll be gimping the chip down to 3.3 GHz.
Intel has set a MSRP between $453 and $464 for the Core i9-10850K. In the real world, however, the Core i9-10850K is selling for $499.99 When it's in stock, the Core i9-10900K retails for $529.99 , $30 more than the Core i9-10850K.