As identified by eagle-eye hardware investigator @_rogame, two unreleased Comet Lake-S (CML-S) processors have appeared in the 3DMark database. The fresh discovery gives us a sneak peek at the processors' potential specifications, but be aware, these could be engineering samples, so the specifications could be subject to change.
The Core i9-10900 comes swinging with 10 cores and 20 threads. The chip seemingly features a 2.8 GHz base clock and a 4.9 GHz boost clock.
The other processor in question is the Core i5-10500, which shows up with six cores and 12 threads. This chip reportedly flexes a 3.1 GHz base clock. Unfortunately, 3DMark didn't detect the processor's boost clock speed correctly.
Comet Lake-S chips are still on Intel's 14nm process node, but will require the LGA1200 socket. This will give motherboard vendors the opportunity to usher in new motherboards based on Intel's 400-series chipset. Like always, consumers can choose from a variety of different chipsets, including W480, Q470, Z490, H470, B460 and H410.
A previous leaked but unverified Comet Lake slide suggests that Comet Lake-S chips are divided into three categories: Enthusiast (125W), Mainstream (65W) and Low Power (35W) categories. Judging by the model names and rather low operating clocks, the Core i9-10900 and Core i5-10500 most likely belong to the 65W category.
Rumors initially pointed to a February launch for Intel's Comet Lake-S chips. That launch window has apparently been moved, and a result, Comet Lake-S might not grace us with its presence until April, or maybe even May.
