Intel 10th Gen: The Core i9-10900K is indeed the world's fastest gaming CPU

Intel’s 10th-gen Comet Lake S CPUs don’t take the crown in multi-core performance but they close the gap enough that you may want to consider them.

- GORDON MAH UNG

Intel’s 10th-gen Core i9-10900K is—without a doubt—exactly as Intel has described it: “the world’s fastest gaming CPU.”

Intel’s problem has been weaknesses outside of gaming, and its overall performance value compared to AMD’s Ryzen 3000 chips. With the Core i9-10900K, Intel doesn’t appear to be eliminating that gap, but it could get close enough that you might not care.

WHAT IS CORE I9-10900K?

Despite its 10th-gen naming, Intel’s newest desktop chips continue to be built on the company’s aging 14nm process. How old is it? It was first used with the 5th-gen Core i7-5775C desktop chip from 2015 (go. pcworld.com/575c). Many tricks, optimizations, and much binning later, we have the flagship consumer Core i9-10900K, announced April 30 (go.pcworld.com/109k). The CPU features 10 cores and HyperThreading for a total of 20 threads, with a list price of $488.

The Core i9-10900K does bring a few changes. Intel officials said the chip uses a thinner die and thinner solder thermal interface material (STIM) to improve thermal dissipation. Intel also had to make a thicker heat spreader (that little metal lid to keep you from crushing the delicate die).

A 10th-gen Core i9-10900K (right) next to an 8th-gen Core i7-8700K (left). There are subtle differences in the “wings” that the load plate clamps onto, and the notches in the substrate are on opposite corners.