By now, you’ve no doubt heard that Intel has announced a new line of 10th Generation processors with the launch of Comet Lake-S. Of these processors, we saw a brand new eight-core Intel Core i7 10700K CPU.
As a reportedly powerful CPU, we know it’s going to be one of the top choices for PC and gaming enthusiasts looking to upgrade their systems. Today, we wanted to give you a brief rundown of how this new CPU will compare to the 9th generation Intel Core i7 9700K from 2019. Being the CPU which should replace the 9700K, the new Core i7 will need to show a good increase in performance to make it worth the upgrade.
How Do The Specifications Compare?
While they may be priced similarly, what is it about the new 10th generation Core i7 which will make it worth the upgrade?
Both of these processors come with eight cores. However, where they differ is that the Core i7 10700K has a higher thread count of 16 threads to the previous generation’s eight. The new processor will support hyper-threading which is the key difference between these two CPUs.
The new Core i7 10700K has an expected base clock of 3.8 GHz whereas the previous generation’s clock speed is 3.6 GHz. Both processors also make use of Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. However, the new processor can reach a boost clock of 5.0 GHz whereas the i7 9700K reached just 4.9 GHz.
It looks like the new i7 10700K will follow in its predecessor’s footsteps when it comes to overclocking. Both processors are unlocked and feature a soldered integrated heat spreader rather than a typical Thermal Interface Material found in some older processors.
This makes the new processor a great prospect to overclock, but on that note, so was the i7 9700K.
Other ways the two processors differ is that the Core i7 10700K has a TDP of 125 W compared to the 9700K’s 95 W as well as 20 MB of L3 cache vs the latter’s 12 MB.
Pricing Comparison
The next thing to think about is the price. The 9th generation Core i7 9700K was released not long ago, in mid-November. This was available for about $374 or £290 in the UK.
This proved to be a great processor with fantastic performance and good single-thread performance.
The new Core i7 10700K looks like it will come at around the same price of $374 which is good news for those who were a bit worried about the price.
Should You Upgrade Your CPU To The Core i7 10700K?
This is the key question. The Core i7 10700K is undoubtedly a step up from the previous generation but whether it’s worth the upgrade will depend on your needs and budget. If you have the cash to splash and simply want the best, then it could be worth it for the extra performance.
However, the Core i7 9700K is still a solid processor with fantastic performance. It’s far from being outdated, given that it only launched a few months ago. If you don’t absolutely need to upgrade, it could be worth a wait until you’ve got more use out of your current processor.
If you have a totally different processor to either of these and are weighing up which CPU to purchase, then the simple answer is to go for the upgrade. They will be available at the same price so it’s definitely worth waiting for the newest version to arrive due to the impressive performance increases.