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Intel introduces eight new 10th Gen Comet Lake processors

Intel introduces eight new 10th Gen Comet Lake processors

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Just when you thought the 10th Gen lineup couldn’t get more confusing

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Intel has introduced a slate of new processors to add to its 10th Gen lineup. Today’s announcement focuses on its Comet Lake CPUs, resulting in even more Y- and U-series CPUs to decipher.

All eight of these new 10th Gen processors use Intel’s 14nm process, not Ice Lake’s 10nm process. That doesn’t make these bad, per se. Notably, the new Intel Core i7-10710U is its first hexacore U-series processor, and it features 12 threads and a higher max clock speed than some of Intel’s Ice Lake processors.

The new 14nm chips will lack the benefits that the 10nm chips have, though. On the whole, these likely won’t be as efficient nor will they tout the same kind of excellent battery life as machines that feature Ice Lake chips. None of them feature Intel’s Gen11 impressive integrated graphics, which it claims can handle some relatively smooth gaming at 1080p resolution. Comet Lake is instead using a previous version of its integrated graphics, as denoted by the lack of a “G” followed by a number in their model names. Basically, unless you buy a laptop that has dedicated graphics from AMD or Nvidia, these 10th Gen CPUs won’t be capable of a whole lot by themselves, depending on the games you like to play.

If you’re feeling confused due to the 10th Gen’s very strange naming convention, Intel just made it even more confusing. The clues to telling them apart are in their model names; you just have to know what to look for.

My colleague Sean Hollister wrote a piece that will help you break down exactly what makes one 10th Gen Ice Lake chip better than another. As for these Comet Lake CPUs, you can sort out these out by looking for “U” or “Y” in their model names, as shown in the photo above. Intel’s Ice Lake processors are technically U- and Y-series products, as well, but you won’t find it in the name. Instead, Intel differentiates those with by appending “G-number” to the end, indicating that they feature its new Iris Plus graphics.

The U-series supports fast LPDDR4x memory in laptops

Ryan Smith of AnandTech also pointed out on Twitter that the new U-series chips will support fast LPDDR4x memory in laptops. So go on, Apple and other manufacturers, please leave DDR3 behind. Intel also deserves a nod for maintaining consistency across these new U- and Y-series chips with the same support for Thunderbolt 3 and Wi-Fi 6 found in other 10th Gen processors. The company’s press release states that some of these processors will appear in machines with the “Project Athena” sticker, which is its guarantee that they have been vetted and verified to last for nine hours.

You’re probably wondering where exactly you’ll find these CPUs. Intel says that they’ll be in machines by the time the holiday season rolls around. And while its more efficient, performant 10nm chips will land in pricier machines, these new processors will likely lead to an influx of slightly cheaper Ultrabooks, 2-in-1 laptops, and other slim form-factor PCs, which could even potentially include future Surface and MacBook products.