If you haven’t heard about AMD’s new Ryzen chips then presumably you’ve decided to part ways with the internet and have taken to life in the wilderness, where foraging for food and camping is now the norm. An excellent choice if I do say so myself. However, Bear Grylls life aside, AMD released their new range of high powered CPUs recently and they’ve taken the computer world by storm. Not only beating Intel in the multitasking department, but also outdoing them in gaming scenarios. The new chips have showcased some superb benchmarking results right out the box and look set to eclipse Intel’s 9th Gen chips for the first time in years. Impressive, to say the least.
The big question on all our lips now is, how will Intel respond? Well, up until recently, we hadn’t heard much from Intel’s camp regarding a CPU counterpunch of their own. That all changed when information on an Asian forum was leaked suggesting that Intel was working on a 10th Gen ‘Comet Lake’ processor lineup to take back the coveted throne in the race for CPU dominance.
Screenshots were released suggesting flagship processors with 5.2Ghz turbo boost clocks speeds over 10cores and at a price tag that would surely make Ryzen lose sleep. But how much of the information can truly be trusted? It’s difficult to say, but if you’re an Intel fan that likes to dream, the following is going to excite you.
Intel 10th Gen?
So what exactly is a 10th gen Intel CPU? Well, it’s pretty much, no wait, it’s exactly what it says on the tin. It’s their next generation range of CPUs.
If the leak is to be believed, Intel is set to release 13 new processors which range from $129 – $499, bringing their new products in direct range of AMD’s Ryzen chips. Before we discuss any details regarding specs though, let’s have a look at the leaked chart which showcases what these, supposed, 10th Gen chips are going to offer.
Now, if you’re looking at the chart thinking, something doesn’t quite smell right here, then don’t worry, you’re not alone. But let’s pretend for a minute the leak is real, which it very well might be.
Apart from the glaringly impressive single core clock speeds, the first thing I noticed was the chipset. The leak suggests Intel plan on releasing a new chipset (LGA1159) for the 10th Gen CPUs. Why? I wouldn’t know, maybe they have some trick up their sleeve that has yet to be revealed. However, if the information is true, then we can expect the process of upgrading to these 10th gen chips to be a costly one.
Secondly, and more believable, is the core/thread count on the new flagship processors. 10C/20T. It would make sense for Intel to bring back multi-threaded 10 core processors in line with the 10th Gen processors. Especially with Ryzen dominating the multi-tasking market so brutally in recent history. We only saw Intel’s 9th Gen flagship chips utilize this feature. The Comet Lake chips will make use of multi-threading throughout the lineup.
The TDP of all the chips on the list could be accurate, especially if we take the 9th Gen processors as an example. Their flagship CPUs are very similar in this department.
Since Intel has been working towards a 10nm chip for as long as I can remember, it would have been really cool to see them coordinate the 10th gen CPUs with the 10nm process. However, Intel, for whatever reason, has decided to use the 14+++ node for these chips. The wait for 10nm desktop CPUs continues. This being said, we will see notebook offerings with 10nm processors in Q4 of this year.
This is probably a good time to see how these chips would compare with Ryzen’s 3000 lineup.
Intel 10th Gen vs Ryzen 3000
So, how would the 10th Gen Comet Lake processors compare with Ryzen’s new lineup if they were to be released? Short answer, it’s difficult to say.
Firstly, let’s get the pricing out of the way. The leaked document would suggest that pound for pound, the new chips would be bang in line, performance, and price wise, with what AMD currently offers. So that would make life much more difficult for the mutual straight out the gate.
| CPU | Core/Threads | Base Clock | Boosted Clock | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | PCI-e 4.0 | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 9 3950x | 16C/ 32T | 3.5GHz | 4.7GHz | 6MB | 64MB | 16+4+4 | 105W |
| Ryzen 9 3900x | 12C / 24T | 3.8GHz | 4.6GHz | 6MB | 64MB | 16+4+4 | 105W |
| Ryzen 7 3800x | 8C / 16T | 3.9GHz | 4.5GHz | 4MB | 32MB | 16+4+4 | 105W |
| Ryzen 7 3700x | 8C / 16T | 3.6GHz | 4.4GHz | 4MB | 32MB | 16+4+4 | 65W |
| Ryzen 5 3600x | 6C / 12T | 3.8GHz | 4.4GHz | 3MB | 32MB | 16+4+4 | 95W |
| Ryzen 5 3600 | 6C / 12T | 3.6GHz | 4.2GHz | 3MB | 32MB | 16+4+4 | 65W |
Secondly, let’s talk about performance. AMD’s Flagship CPU is currently the 3900x. It boasts a 3.8Ghz base clock and 4.6GHz boost clock over its 12core/24thread makeup. Comparatively speaking, Intel’s 10900KF is the closest in price to the 3900x. This being said, the 10900KF boasts a 4.6Ghz base and 5.2Ghz boost clock speed which is much higher than the 3900x. It has a similar TDP as well, which is advantageous for users not wanting to upgrade PSUs.
The above example is pretty consistent throughout the entire list of CPUs with all Intel’s being slightly faster than Ryzen’s while being equal in pricing.
This being said, we still don’t know if the leak is legit, but if it is, Ryzen should be worried.
Closing Thoughts
So, that’s the information currently surrounding rumors of Intel’s 10th Gen CPUs, but can it be believed? Well, for me, I take everything with a large pinch of salt unless it comes directly from the horse’s mouth. This is another occasion where this practice will be used in full effect. It’s also very convenient how right after AMD’s new CPUs hit shelves, Intel release information regarding their own CPUs. Seems a little too fishy to me.
This being said, It’s always good to speculate on what could be around the corner for Intel. They need to do something, and whatever that something is will have to be better than what AMD has achieved. Is it possible? The leaked chart seems to suggest so; I suppose only time will tell though.