Intel rumored to release 10-core Comet Lake CPUs for desktops in 2020

Intel Comet Lake
(Image credit: Intel)

Intel recently made a huge splash with the release of its Comet Lake processors for laptops and tablets, but that doesn’t mean it’s done. Hong Kong-based website, XFastest, recently shared three leaked slides from an anonymous source showing an Intel Core platform boasting a new Intel 400 series chipset and an LGA 1200 socket. To top that off, these slides also include a roadmap indicating that the 10-core Comet Lake CPUs for desktop computers are slated to roll out in the first quarter of 2020.

Based on the slides, this new chipset looks to be designed to support up to 10-core and 20-thread processors. The platform details also suggest that the enthusiast level TDP is seeing a bump of up to 125W from the previous 95W for enhanced core & memory overclocking. According to ExtremeTech, Intel might be trying to avoid cutting the base clock speed as it did when moving from the 8th to 9th generations as well.

The updated LGA 1200 socket and Intel 400 series chipset means that you’ll need to buy a new motherboard with these specs if you want to upgrade once the Comet Lake-S processors come out. However, jumping on board with the Comet Lake-S also includes integrated support for 802.11ax, the next generation of wireless support also known as Wi-Fi6.

With the potential roll-out of the Comet Lake desktop processors coming the beginning of 2020, there will be plenty more speculation on what to expect.

How does this compare to Team Red?

While we’re still hoping for slimmer CPU’s from Intel to compete with AMD’s 7nm offerings, it has decided to stick with their tried-and-true 14nm process. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see how Comet Lake-S compares to AMD’s newest Ryzen options, which already go up to 16 cores and 32 threads.

Intel has always led with its single core performance, and we’re excited to see how Comet Lake-S improves upon its already powerful results. And, while AMD will probably still outperform Intel in the multi-core department, maybe the extra 2 cores and increased TDP will close the gap.

The true test for most people will be price. There’s no information on that yet, Intel might try and shake up AMD’s top-flight offerings. Whatever the prices end up being, we’ll keep you up to date on Comet Lake-S news.

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Michelle Rae Uy
Contributor

Michelle Rae Uy is the former Computing Reviews and Buying Guides Editor at TechRadar. She's a Los Angeles-based tech, travel and lifestyle writer covering a wide range of topics, from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She's an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives. 

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