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Continuing the theme of speed, Intel offers enthusiasts even more ways to overclock. There’s a redesigned Intel Extreme Tuning Utility, giving you more control over voltage and frequency. It will also allow you to disable hyperthreading on individual cores, which may seem counterintuitive at first, but Intel explains that it is a useful way to reduce heat, the worst enemy of all overclockers.
The new processors also feature a thinner array along with a thicker copper IHS (integrated heat diffuser), which should also help keep things cooler. It’s a smart move, as all of Intel’s new chips still have higher TDP (Thermal Design Profiles) than AMD’s. The 10900K has a TDP of 125 watts, for example, while AMD’s Ryzen 9 3900X has just 105 watts. (It’s worth noting, though, that TDP is a fairly fluid term, so we won’t know what that 125-watt number will translate into actual use until we can test a chip for ourselves.)
You can expect to see the “K” CPUs unlocked in May, but we don’t have a timeline for the other chips. Based solely on specs, 10th Gen Intel desktop processors seem like a solid upgrade to anyone with a 3-year-old PC. Still, AMD now has the advantage when it comes to core count and architecture efficiency. Maybe next year we’ll finally see Intel’s desktop CPUs at 10nm, but by then AMD will have an even more refined process. Given the number of waves AMD has been making over the past year, Intel will really have to do something special to stand out in 2021.
