If you’re interested in getting a flagship 10th Gen Core processor at a slightly cheaper price, Intel has you covered. The company officially announced its i9-10850K variant today, which is essentially the i9-10900K/KF with a $35 discount ($453 vs. $488). Prospective owners can expect a 100 MHz regression in clock speeds, however: the base and turbo clocks of the new SKU are down to 3.6 and 5.0 GHz, respectively. You can check out the chart below to see how they compare.
If you’re curious as to why Intel introduced a new variant just months after the 10th Gen Core family debuted, it’s because people supposedly demanded it. “The i9-10850K is based on immediate feedback we’ve received from customers, including to further expand options and different price points,” Intel said. “This will also obviously support long term demand for i9K processors as well.”
So, is it worth sacrificing 100 MHz for $35? Most Intel fanatics should probably just spring for the flagship, but the i9-10850K looks like a great choice for those who can’t find the i9-10900K on shelves and need immediate gratification.