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.
