Before this week we reviewed Intel's new Core i9-10900K and constitute that it was a strong performer, only it fell curt of impressing in a world dominated by AMD'southward Ryzen lineup. For $500-ish information technology's a lot more expensive than the Ryzen ix 3900X, it'due south slower in most applications, while it carries a small-scale advantage in games.

In the end, we couldn't really say who would buy 10900K. The more than affordable Cadre i7-10700K though, at present this looks to be a more interesting part. Substantially what we accept here is a Core i9-9900K at a 25% discount, as Intel has prepare the MSRP at $375. Fifty-fifty if y'all won't exist able to immediately discover it at that price, it's a reasonable disbelieve over the previous gaming king, the 9900K which can all the same be constitute retailing for $530. But volition that be enough?

The Core i7-10700K is an 8-core, sixteen-thread CPU, same equally the 9900K, but whereas the Coffee Lake part features a base clock of three.6 GHz, the 10700K won't drop below 3.8 GHz and as a issue the TDP has been increased to 125 W. The heave clock frequency has likewise been increased by 100 MHz, which sees the 10700K hitting 5.1 GHz. L3 cache goes unchanged with both models sporting a 16 MB capacity.

That's the 10700K in a nutshell, fourth dimension to get into the benchmarks!

We tested all Ryzen processors using the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master, 8th and 9th-gen Intel processors were benched on the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra, and the new Intel 10th-gen Core CPUs on the Asus ROG Maximus XII Extreme. For this review we're going to look exclusively at results for Intel CPUs that aren't power express, so no TDP express testing. This is typically how we examination Intel CPUs, such as the 9900K, for instance, and this is as well how the majority of Z490 boards operate out of the box. So while we'll be using the default clock multiplier tables, none of the Intel CPUs are adhering to any power limits.

What this ways for the 10700K is that under load the all-core clock speed is 4.7 GHz and that frequency will exist maintained for the elapsing of the test. This is the same all-core clock frequency that the 9900K operates at. Finally, all configurations were equipped with a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, 32GB of DDR4-3200 CL14 memory and a Corsair Hydro H150i Pro 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler.

Benchmarks

Equally usual we'll start with Cinebench R20 multi-core and here we encounter that the 10700K is indeed able to friction match the 9900K, with a score of 4985 pts. The 2% increment we see is within the margin of fault, even for our 3 run boilerplate.

When looking at unmarried cadre performance nosotros come across that while the 10700K is very strong, it's non exceptional, basically matching the 9900K, 3700X and 3900X.

Moving on to 7-zero compression performance, the 10700K is just 1.five% faster than the 3700X and 37% slower than the 3900X. With the 3900X currently selling for nearly $415, it reigns the test and has Intel showing a large performance arrears to AMD at the aforementioned price point.

Things get worse for Intel in the decompression test where the 10700K is nine% slower than the 3700X and that places it well behind the 3900X, losing by a 39% margin.

The AES 256-bit encryption functioning is interesting, because here nosotros see that the 10700K is a flake slower than the 9900K, trailing by a half dozen% margin. Given these two CPUs are identical in terms of specs, simply the 10700K clocks higher, that shouldn't exist possible. Merely the Comet Lake architecture does innovate a number of hardware level security fixes and we saw with Cascade Lake-10 that this did at times reduce performance, so I believe that's what we're looking at here.

The 10700K was also slower than the 9900K in Blender's Open Data benchmark, though we're talking a few seconds hither, so performance was basically identical.

The V-Ray performance is very typical of what nosotros've seen and so far. Here the 10700K is four% faster than the 9900K and that meant it was about thirty% slower than the Ryzen 9 3900X.

The 10700K performed every bit expected in Corona, edging out the 9900K by a slim margin. It was also 14% faster than the 3700X, merely 24% slower than the 3900X. An expected result but in the thou scheme of things, not a peculiarly good result for Intel.

Code compilation performance sees the 10700K but border alee of the 9900K, making it slightly slower than the 3700X and a whopping 33% slower than the 3900X. So again performance is as expected, just when information technology comes to serious productivity work Intel appears outgunned by the competing Ryzen processors.

Moving on to DaVinci Resolve Studio performance, the 10700K is 6% faster than the 9900K, allowing it to lucifer the 3700X. That still saw information technology come in 9% slower than the 3900X, but that'south non a huge difference, despite non being a dandy result.

The performance margins seen in Premiere Pro are very similar to those of DaVinci Resolve. The 10700K is able to match the 3700X and that meant information technology was six% faster than the 9900K.

Intel's higher clocked CPUs do perform well in Photoshop and while the 10700K doesn't destroy the 3900X, at to the lowest degree it's able to match it hither, and that'due south not something we've seen much of.

Performance in After Effects is average, despite the 10700K offering a half-dozen% operation uplift over the 9900K. That meant it was still slower than the 3700X and 10% slower than the 3900X.

Moving on to power consumption, what we come across here are total organisation consumption numbers. The 10700K matched the 3900X at 230 watts and that means in terms of performance per watt Intel is at a significant disadvantage, but that's certainly non news to anyone at this indicate. Anyway, the 3900X was threescore% faster than the 10700K in Blender, so that's a pregnant advantage in terms of performance per watt.

Gaming Operation

Starting with Battlefield V at 1080p using the ultra quality preset, and of course nosotros're using an RTX 2080 Ti graphics card. Here the 10700K matched the 9900K and 10900K to deliver the best and most consistent gaming experience of the CPUs tested.

The ane% low performance was xix% better than what we see with the 3rd-gen Ryzen processors, despite the more marginal difference in average frame rates. Even so this is a stiff gaming result for Intel and it's not bad to meet 9900K-similar performance at a more affordable cost.

If you play at 1440p, and I like to call up this is the minimum resolution people rocking an RTX 2080 Ti would target, then the difference between the 10700K and the 3900X, for example, is basically indistinguishable.

Next up nosotros have Far Cry New Dawn and again we're looking at 9900K and even 10900K-like performance with the 10700K. That's good news but besides non unexpected. The Far Cry serial has always favored Intel CPUs and nosotros like to include it as this is a worst instance scenario for AMD. While the 10700K will oftentimes exist around v% faster than the 3900X in gaming, there are titles such as Far Cry New Dawn where Intel is around 15% faster and that margin can even be seen at 1440p.

Functioning in Gears Tactics also sees the 10700K friction match the 9900K and 10900K, pumping out 138 fps on average to arrive 8% faster than the 3900X at 1080p. That margin is slightly reduced to 6% at 1440p, though the 1% low consequence is now identical, which means the gaming experience using either CPU volition be indistinguishable.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a title where the 10900K was able to distance itself from the 9900K, admitting by a small margin. This advantage was made possible by the small increase in clock speed and nosotros see that advantage is also shared by the 10700K. We're only talking about a v% increase in 1% low functioning though.

That advantage disappears at 1440p, here the 10700K is just a few frames faster than the 3900X and once again that will encounter both processors deliver the same gaming experience.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint also sees the 10700K match the 10900K and by extension the 9900K, 9700K and even the 8700K. Again, the 10700K was faster than the 3900X, but this time we're talking nearly just a 5% performance advantage at 1080p.

The margins remain much the aforementioned at 1440p, with the 10700K coming in 7% faster than the 3900X.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider the 10700K was only a few frames off the pace of the 10900K and well-nigh 6% faster than the 3900X. Moving to 1440p we find that the 10700K is no faster than the 3900X, 3950X and 10900K, all delivering virtually identical operation.

The last game we tested, Red Expressionless Redemption 2 shows us a stiff GPU bottleneck at 1080p, despite using dialed down quality settings. The 10700K averaged 103 fps which saw it match the 10900K, along with the 9900K, 9700K and 8700K. It was also a few frames faster than Ryzen 9 and vii processors.

The margins were reduced at 1440p and now we see basically no difference in performance between the bulk of the CPUs tested.

Looking at the average functioning across the seven games tested at 1080p, we encounter that the 10700K is basically identical to the 10900K and just a whisker faster than the 9900K. The 9700K is also very close in the average, but the one% depression performance was not up to par.

When compared to the 3900X you're looking at a 7% improvement for the average frame rate and an 8% comeback in ane% low functioning. That'southward a reasonable advantage for gaming.

Jumping up to 1440p reduces the average frame rate and 1% low margin to just 5%, so while the 10700K is clearly faster for gaming, information technology'southward not that much faster and in most instances you lot won't notice the divergence.

Excellent for Gaming, Simply...

It's fourth dimension to make sense of the information. In one side, this is similar to what we saw with the Core i9-10900K. The 10700K simply tin can't match the value of the competing Ryzen parts in productivity applications. The Cadre i7-10700K is either on par with the 3700X for a massive 40% price premium or much slower than the 3900X for near the same price.

That said, the 10700K certainly makes more sense than the 10900K, as it offers the same level of gaming performance for around $100 less. With that in listen, we look forrard to testing the Core i5-10600K which may exist one of Intel's most compelling 10th-gen products. The 10600K is basically an overclocked 8700K and given the 8700K offers a similar level of gaming functioning to that of the 10700K and past extension the 10900K, this volition be the CPU to get if y'all're gaming exclusively. The 10600K is plain more affordable at only $280.

The 10700K and 10900K suffer from the fact that games don't crave more than a 6-cadre, 12-thread processor in 2022 and we doubt that's going to change anytime soon. And so if you want to go Intel for gaming, spending $100 or $200 more on those Core i7 and Core i9 parts won't make sense. And if you want both the gaming and the productivity functioning, Ryzen can cover both fronts quite convincingly. At the ~$400 price point in that location'due south merely no going past the R9 3900X.

The 10700K is certainly a good deal compared to the approachable Core i9-9900K, merely we should find out showtime if the 10600K tin can offering the same gaming experience at a much cheaper price. Had Intel been able to offering the 10700K at $300 then it'south certainly something we could recommend every bit a Ryzen 7 3700X alternative, but at $375 or more, it's a pass for now. Availability looks to be a cardinal outcome as we mentioned with the 10900K, and while we were able to purchase this Core i7-10700K chip on release day, we've been told stock is extremely limited, so getting your hands on one might bear witness extremely difficult.

Shopping Shortcuts:
  • AMD Ryzen seven 3700X on Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 9 3900X on Amazon
  • Intel Core i7-10700K on Amazon (soon?)
  • Intel Cadre i5-10600K on Amazon (soon?)
  • Intel Cadre i9-10900K on Amazon (presently?)
  • AMD Ryzen 9 3950X on Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen five 3600X on Amazon
  • GeForce RTX 2070 Super on Amazon
  • GeForce RTX 2060 Super on Amazon