What "Hanging on for Dear Life" Looks Like... Intel Core i9 10900K & i5 10600K Review
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Intel’s back with the 10th-gen Core lineup, and they’re still on 14nm. Are the new chips fire, or are they like fire – too hot? Buy a Core i9 10900K: On Amazon (PAID LINK): TBD On Newegg (PAID LINK): TBD On B&H (PAID LINK): TBD Buy a Core i5 10600K: On Amazon (PAID LINK): TBD On Newegg (PAID LINK): TBD On B&H (PAID LINK): TBD Buy an AMD CPU on Amazon: Ryzen 5 3600: geni.us Ryzen 7 3700X: geni.us Ryzen 7 3800X: geni.us Ryzen 7 3900X: geni.us Ryzen 9 3950X: geni.us Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com GET MERCH: lttstore.com SUPPORT US ON FLOATPLANE: floatplane.com LTX EXPO: ltxexpo.com AFFILIATES & REFERRALS --------------------------------------------------- Affiliates, Sponsors & Referrals: lmg.gg Get Private Internet Access VPN at lmg.gg Get a Mech Keyboard: geni.us Get a Displate Metal Print at lmg.gg Use code LINUSMEDIAGROUP on Epic Games Store: lmg.gg Get a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime at lmg.gg Our Gear on Amazon: geni.us FOLLOW US ELSEWHERE --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: @LinusTech Instagram: @linustech Twitch: twitch.tv FOLLOW OUR OTHER CHANNELS --------------------------------------------------- Techquickie: lmg.gg TechLinked: lmg.gg ShortCircuit: lmg.gg LMG Clips: lmg.gg Channel Super Fun: lmg.gg Carpool Critics: lmg.gg MUSIC CREDIT --------------------------------------------------- Title: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro Screen Music Credit: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High youtube.com Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 lmg.gg Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 lmg.gg Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 lmg.gg
The video conducts a detailed review of Intel's 10th generation desktop CPUs, focusing on the Core i9-10900K and Core i5-10600K. It opens by addressing initial fears about thermals and power draw, highlighting how the i9-10900K surprisingly remains thermally manageable under sustained load with stock settings around 60 degrees Celsius. When the turbo boost limits are relaxed in the BIOS, the processor sustains near 4.8 GHz across all cores, which the hosts explain is enabled by architectural and packaging refinements rather than merely higher voltages. They reveal that Intel shrank the die thickness and reinforced the heat spreader to improve cooling efficiency, a shift that helps keep thermals in check even as power draw spikes beyond stock measurements. The discussion also covers platform changes, such as the new LGA 1200 socket, PCIe Gen 4 readiness on motherboards, and new turbo features like turbo boost max 3.0 and thermal velocity boost, which collectively influence how these CPUs perform in gaming and synthetic workloads. The host team then compares gaming and productivity performance against AMD’s Ryzen lineup, noting that the i9 generally delivers stronger gaming frame rates due to higher clock speeds, while Ryzen CPUs still pull ahead in multi-threaded productivity tests. They point out that pricing positions Intel as a premium option, and while the 10th Gen chips aren’t earth-shatteringly transformative, there is vibrant competition and measurable gains in both gaming and multi-threaded workloads. The video closes with a verdict that Intel is taking the fight to AMD, suggesting the platform is worth considering for enthusiasts, while also teasing future coverage of upcoming generations and related hardware. Overall, the review presents a nuanced view that gaming often favors Intel at high clocks, but productivity benchmarks and platform features keep the competition lively in the CPU market.
Topics · technology · hardware · cpu · reviews · gaming · performance · overclocking
Questions answered
- What is the thermal behavior of the Core i9-10900K when turbo limits are disabled, and how does it compare to stock conditions?
- When turbo limits are removed in the BIOS, the i9-10900K runs around 4.8 GHz on all cores with thermals still manageable, roughly comparable to 9th Gen thermals, whereas stock conditions show around 60 C under sustained load.
- What new platform features accompany the 10th Gen CPUs and how do they influence upgradability and performance?
- The 10th Gen CPUs introduce a new LGA 1200 socket, PCIe Gen 4 readiness on motherboards, and new turbo mechanisms like turbo boost max 3.0 and thermal velocity boost, which affect performance and upgrade paths into future generations.